Ch.38The World Changed by an NPC. (3)

Why? These bastards deserve to die.

They’re the ones who will start the destruction of this continent.

They’re the trash who spread throughout this world, claiming that demons are the true transcendent beings manifested on earth.

And because of them. Because of these bastards…!!

“I understand you’re angry. But there’s no need to go any further.”

“You want information, right? Leave it to me. I’ll find out better than you can. So clean your hands and go to Ira, okay?”

“…These bastards hurt Ira… almost killed her…”

“I know. That’s why it’s enough now.”

“Jack. Please, just listen to us this once. Stop now and go to Miss Ira.”

Red eyes and blue walls look at me anxiously. Why? Is there a problem? What’s wrong with me?

“Are you going to show Ira your face looking like this?”

“…It’s definitely not good for her emotional state.”

“……”

When Ragni takes out a hand mirror to show me my face, it reflects a gray-haired man covered in blood, grimacing as if he can’t hold back the urge to kill something.

This is a bit… Even that city movie character Marveli wasn’t this scary.

“…Ah, aaah. Shit. Ah.”

“That’s right, calm down. Go wash your face. Go to Ira. Leave this to us.”

“You did well. I won’t disappoint you, Jack.”

I finally lowered my hands and bowed my head, understanding why the two women stopped me and why they were so concerned.

Haah. Calm down, calm down.

My current face is really not okay. This is R-18 prohibited. I don’t want Ira to hate me.

The thought of not being able to see Ira until she turns 18—I couldn’t bear that.

“…You two.”

“Yes?”

“Yes.”

“…Thank you, really.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“It’s only natural.”

I left the situation to the two women and turned around. And what I saw was… the fearful gazes of the merchant caravan guards who had been saved by me.

But perhaps because they were people who had been through many hardships, they were watching me while protecting Gor, who was holding the sleeping Ira.

And then.

“He-here. Water and a towel. Let’s, let’s clean up over there.”

“…Thank you.”

The youngest-looking man, with torn clothes, approached me as if forcibly pushed forward, bringing water and a towel. I took them and headed to a corner.

Soon, a few more people came with a change of clothes, and after washing off the blood, I returned and took Ira from Gor.

“Mmm…mm. Big brother?”

“Yes. Are you awake?”

“Mmm. Are we there yet?”

“Not yet, you can sleep more. Are you hungry?”

“…No, I want to sleep more.”

“Okay. Sleep more. I’ll wake you up when it’s time to eat.”

“Mmm. Okay.”

After stroking Ira’s hair as she nuzzles against my chest and falls asleep, I make sure she’s sleeping.

“…I’m sorry, Ira. Your big brother is sorry.”

Ira seemed not to remember fainting when the carriage rolled over, and she fell soundly asleep in my arms. She certainly didn’t hear what I just said.

*

Ragni Bluemoon was furious to the tips of her hair.

“From what I heard earlier, it was obvious from your expression that you were planning to attack Aigram. Our master wanted to know when you were planning to attack, so are you willing to tell us?”

“……”

The man’s mouth was torn and the skin on his cheeks was peeled off, exposing muscle, but he remained silent.

However.

“Well, I guess so. After taking such a beating, why would you want to talk to pretty women like us? You’re just crazy perverts who do things with other men. Fine, I’ll just talk by myself then?”

Ragni, her red eyes curved like crescent moons, continued speaking.

“You were planning to attack the city, but attacking a merchant caravan like this means one of two things. Either your preparations are complete, or something went wrong with your preparations and you’re desperately trying to make up for the loss. I think it’s the latter. The reason is simple, even a child would know that attacking a merchant caravan like this will strengthen security and defenses in both Aigram and the Empire. But you stupidly attacked? You’re about to attack soon? I wouldn’t do something like that. Right?”

The man’s eyes flickered briefly at her smiling words, but he said nothing. However.

“Is that so? The latter is correct. Then, what happened to you people? You wanted to attack such a large caravan and take people away. As far as I know, demon summoning requires quite a bit of human blood and lives, so if you were trying to abduct people in mass like this, there must have been a problem with your preparations? You must have been preparing for years. Because I was in the Empire, I filtered out most demon followers, you know? But I wasn’t in Aigram. The place you wanted to attack was Aigram. And the date of the attack was, what, within a year? Or around a year? Oh, around a year? Thank you.”

Without the man saying a word or giving any answer, Ragni ignored his resistance and guessed everything just from his slight movements and the movement of his eyes, pushing him into a corner.

And above all.

“But something went wrong when it was supposed to be around a year. What could it be? Well, that’s not important. In my opinion, attacking a merchant caravan means you needed money. Demon followers worship the demons of the Seven Deadly Sins, right? Are you apostles of Greed (Gula)? Oh? No? Aha! Then, those weird tentacles and garbage-like thorn techniques you were using earlier, that’s what trash who can’t even use magic use while pretending to be dark mages! Then you’re worshippers of Envy (Invidia)! A trash group lacking in their own abilities. Right?”

“Cough… W-who exactly are you…?!”

Ragni smiled at the man who started to question her with a voice that could barely pronounce words due to his torn mouth, and then.

-SMACK!!

“I told you I’d be talking alone, didn’t I?”

She kicked him in the face with the tip of her shoe.

If Jack had seen it, he would have shouted that the Queen of Games was right here.

Her kick, cruel and treating people as less than human, was stronger than even she had thought.

But she immediately continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

“Yes, yes. Apostles of Envy. If you’re such a trash group, you were definitely in the Empire briefly too. When I was 10 years old? I thought they were like bugs and killed them by popping them with my fingers. They were really boring. Surely, even then, they were involved with the same low-class, inferior traitors full of inferiority complexes as themselves. So, how did you know about this merchant caravan? The Empire? Aigram? Ah~ Well, it can’t be the Empire, right? No matter how incompetent and stupid my father is, he’s not the type to join hands with people like you. Yes. Thanks for the answer. Then it’s Aigram, but it’s still strange. The movement method, location, direction, and time of merchant caravans are all kept secret, so how did you know? Did someone who would benefit from the cargo of this caravan being delivered to Aigram do such a thing? Hmm? They did? Wow. That’s interesting.”

“W-what are you saying?!! Who are you…!!!”

-STAB!!

“Urgh?!!”

“Our Ragni is talking, don’t interrupt with nonsense.”

This time, Rey deeply stabbed the man’s shoulder to silence him.

Her eyes and expression were not the usual smiling and playful ones, but colder than anyone else’s.

If Jack had seen this too, he would have surely recognized it as similar to what she showed in the game.

“Oh, thank you? Then, shall I continue? Someone who would benefit did it. That means your attack plan has almost completely fallen apart. Oh, is that right? That’s too bad. Wasting years on useless things… What? Not years but decades? You people really have nothing better to do? Yes, you wasted all that time, and then you came out like this. That means there’s a merchant who benefits whether the cargo is delivered to Aigram or not, right? Yes. I know I’m smart. So who would try to sell out the caravan for profit? Someone who benefits even if this cargo is lost, meaning a merchant who would gain the most by complaining to the Empire if these goods are lost? Yes, thank you. You’re really cooperative, so you’ll live. Rey.”

“Did you find out everything?”

“Yes. The merchant who cooperated with them, if we investigate them, we can find out exactly when the attack date is. Right?”

“…Urgh, w-what the…!!”

The man had given no answers.

He had only opened his mouth twice, questioning who the woman was and how she knew everything, but it was as if she had rummaged through his head and exposed everything.

And as a result, the man was wrapped in a terribly disgusting fear.

“Y-you bitch. Demon bitch!!! Whores!!! You, you will fall into purgatory!!!”

He could only spew ugly curses. But to such a reaction, Ragni answered with a smile.

“Hahaha! Didn’t you know? I’m called a monster even by my parents. But whore is a bit off? I’m saving myself well for our master. Besides, isn’t it strange for a demon follower to say that? Who are you to judge virginity when you’re the ones sleeping with men? Hmm? What? You’ve never even been with a woman? Pfft. Well, you do look like a bug. Rey.”

-SLASH!!

The man’s head fell off, and Rey naturally dusted off her sword and sheathed it.

“With such a pretty and smart demon around, anyone would end up worshipping you.”

“Oh my, thank you for the compliment. I never thought the day would come when someone as strong and beautiful as you would take my side.”

“…That’s just flattery.”

“No, it’s not.”

The two women were just as angry at the men who had made Jack commit murder and almost hurt Ira.

The feeling of having one’s mind completely exposed even while staying silent—Rey had already experienced this while playing card games with Ragni, and Ragni knew how painful it was for the opponent when she used it fully.

The two women looked at each other and then returned to the man they followed, leaving behind the corpse of someone who had been terrified to the point of near death, spilling all information without saying a word.

They were certain that he would have a hard time because of this incident.