Chapter 112

Chapter 112

112: Black Street Not everything goes smoothly, according to plan. It was a fact I already knew well enough, but reality can’t be changed just because you know it.

-Clunk.

The door to the dressing room suddenly opened, and someone emerged from behind it. The face of the person who appeared was familiar. At least, to me. “Kaldin? Why are you here…” Muren asked, seemingly flustered at the sight of him. In response, Kaldin, wearing a playful smile, looked at Muren and replied. “Why else? I’ve come to get my property back. Isn’t that right?” “….” He winked at me, but I couldn’t accept his gaze as it was. I had considered that Kaldin might come to see the ‘show’ on stage, but I didn’t expect him to barge in so aggressively. Or rather, I was half-doubting it. Anyway, he seemed to have stayed in Sarton for quite a while, and I didn’t think he would risk danger just to save one woman, or rather, a sex slave. I also thought that the obsession he showed towards me might just be the impulsive possessiveness that any man might have. A fleeting emotion that would disappear after a few days of inactivity. But, it seemed that my thoughts were wrong after all. No, since I was half-doubting, it would be right to say that my prediction was correct. “Listen, I’ll have to take her.” “…Do you have the 200,000 Lard to pay?” “Is that really necessary?” Muren was silenced by Kaldin’s words. He looked quite surprised by Kaldin’s answer. And the reason for that, even I, who was watching from the side, could understand. He was planning to kidnap me without paying, just as he had said. An act that showed he didn’t care about the damage to Sarton. It meant that he was completely betraying Sarton. He seemed to have made up his mind completely, and he glared sharply at Muren. “I won’t kill you, especially, so just pretend you didn’t see anything.” “Kuh…” Kaldin’s words were filled with murderous intent. Murderous intent that affects the mind and body is a type of energy that is difficult for ordinary people who have not adapted to such threatening sensations to handle. Muren, being a member of the underworld organization, didn’t seem to be greatly shocked, but that didn’t mean he could ignore the murderous intent. He seemed to shrink back, but nevertheless, he still opened his mouth. “…It’s too late. If you were going to come, you should have come before the auction started. Doing this now won’t-” “That’s your responsibility. I don’t care about that at all.” “Ha, are you crazy? If you run away with her in this situation, it’s not just Sarton’s responsibility. Even the members who participated in the auction might chase you.” Muren said that with a dumbfounded expression, but well, I wonder if that’s really the case. My thoughts are a little different. Even though 200,000 Lard is a lot of money, it’s questionable whether they would even organize a pursuit team for it. If it were a noble, they might do so because they thought their honor had been tarnished, but I don’t think a merchant who isn’t a noble, or even a noble, would be so obsessed. I have to think about whether a person who goes to a club like this would think that their honor has fallen to that extent. Besides, Sarton hasn’t even received the money yet. They are more likely to think of Sarton as being resentful, and they won’t bother to chase Kaldin. And Kaldin, as if knowing this fact, sneered at Muren. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while, but you have such a smooth tongue. Do you still see me as a clueless fool?” “…I’ve never thought of you that way. But right now, you look like a naive kid who doesn’t know the world. Do you think you can live in this underground plaza with her?” At his words, Kaldin replied in a mocking tone. “Who said we’re going to keep living here?” “You, don’t tell me…?” “Move, I don’t want to cause trouble by killing you for no reason.” Kaldin said that and flicked his left hand. He was empty-handed, but Muren seemed tense, as if there was some meaning to it. Muren, who didn’t seem to have great martial arts skills, wouldn’t be able to stop Kaldin’s actions. After silencing Muren like that, Kaldin came up to me and grabbed my wrist. “Lyla. I am your master now.” // As is the way of the world, it is difficult to judge right and wrong in every moment of choice. That’s how little I knew, and how little time I had. I didn’t know if it was right to go with Kaldin like this, and I couldn’t judge whether it was better to go quietly to the old man who bought me. So instead of worrying about the best choice, I judge which is the lesser of two evils. And Kaldin was the lesser of two evils that I judged. No matter how pleasant his behavior may be, I don’t think that a member of the underworld organization I met in the underground plaza will be good. But what I want is not a good person, but someone who will take me out of the underground plaza. If Kaldin was planning to stay in the underground plaza, I wouldn’t follow him, but if not, it’s a different story. Of course, I’ll have to make my own decisions after leaving the underground plaza. I will continue to live in Karaldin with Emily, Mien, and El, and he will have to leave this Karaldin. I’ll try to compromise as much as possible, but if that’s not possible, I’m willing to fight. I finished my judgment and nodded at him. “…Okay.” I walk as he leads, limping. I didn’t give a glance to Muren, who was left behind. If I leave the underground plaza like this, I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again, but probably not. Forgetting the man I shared my body with is something I’ve experienced countless times. It’s not difficult at all, and there’s no reason to think of Muren as special among those many people. “….Tch.” Kaldin frowned when he saw me limping, but he soon grumbled briefly and moved on. // The process of leaving the stage went smoothly. “Kaldin?” “Yo, good work.” There were a few members of Sarton, but no one stopped Kaldin while passing through the hallway of the stage. Was it because they were on the same side? Far from stopping him, they didn’t even seem to find it strange that he and I were together. If they knew that he was stealing a 200,000 Lard product, they wouldn’t react like that. When I thought of that, I felt a little amused. “Now that I see it, you’re quite good at lying.” “Well, I think I’m a pretty honest person.” He might be honest. From his point of view, he might have sincerely said good work. “Are you willing to betray the organization for just one woman?” “I can’t lose a woman for just one organization.” We exchanged light banter and headed for the exit of the stage. The exit and entrance are the same door, but that’s just the expression. However, as I said, not everything goes smoothly, according to plan. When we arrived at the entrance of the stage, or rather, the hall of the entrance, we encountered an unexpected obstacle. “What?” Next to the entrance of the stage, a young man was leaning against the wall, looking at us. It was a man I remembered. The man with the sharp impression I saw before the auction started. The young man with bluish-black hair and a tall height looked back and forth between me and Kaldin, then suddenly hardened his expression. Seeing that, Kaldin frowned and asked me. “Do you know him?” “No.” How could I know him? It’s someone I’m seeing for the first time. I shook my head lightly and answered, but it seemed that the other person knew us well. The young man sighed softly and drew the sword he had on his waist. “….Damn it, sometimes being too smart is a problem.” It was a truly sudden and absurd self-praise, but if he was a bodyguard of one of the members who visited the stage, that praise was understandable. Judging from the atmosphere, he seemed to have noticed that Kaldin and I were running away. …But, how did he know? // The situation was becoming more and more chaotic. Originally, I was planning to play the slave role quietly and then escape, but how did it end up like this? “I’m asking just in case, but you’re not thinking of letting us go quietly, are you?” “I’m also asking just in case, but you’re not thinking of leaving her here quietly, are you? It seems that woman is the one our employer has been singing about wanting.” “I think you’ve mistaken someone.” “Don’t say that. It sounds like you’re sure my judgment is correct.” Kaldin and the unknown young man were facing each other, growling with me by their side. But there seems to be no possibility that either of them will change their minds. As the young man and Kaldin faced each other, the members in the hall began to stare at us. Kaldin and I didn’t have much time. Perhaps thinking that he couldn’t afford to be relaxed any longer, Kaldin hardened his expression and looked at the young man. “….You said you were smart, right? You’re going to regret that.” “Yeah, tell me more. I’ll stall for time.” The young man lightly sneered at Kaldin’s words. That was the signal for the fight. Kaldin took a stance with his arms outstretched forward and rushed towards the young man. It seemed like a reckless act to rush at a swordsman with bare hands, but the situation that followed was quite shocking.

-Swish.

A black aura seemed to seep into his arms, and then hair instantly grew on what used to be human arms, and sharp claws extended. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but be flustered inside. That ability, expressed as beastification, is not an ability that a creature in this world can have. Beastmen are a race of people with the traits of beasts, not a race that freely crosses the boundary between humans and beasts. There is only one race that can transform their bodies so rapidly. Demons. Among them, it was the ability of a demon race called lycanthrope. The young man facing him also seemed to have realized that fact, and he grumbled roughly. “Damn it, why does it have to be a demon!” But there was no fear in that voice. He took a stance with his sword drawn and swung it at the rushing Kaldin. If someone who didn’t know saw it, it would look like he was fighting a hopeless battle. Even though the sword is sharp, it is known that the claws of a lycanthrope can rival the strength of most swords. However, if it is not an ordinary sword, the story is different.

-Crackle!

A blue light flashed from the swung sword, and sparks instantly rose, enveloping the sword. “Huh!?” Kaldin was about to swing his claws at the sword imbued with lightning, but he stopped his charge in shock. No matter how much of a demon he is, he is still a type of monster and a living being. Usually, if you burn them with fire, they burn, and if you shock them with lightning, they get shocked. It would be different if they were a monster or demon with that attribute, but it is said that monsters with attributes are rare.

-Whoosh!

The sword imbued with lightning narrowly cut through the air, and sparks emitted from the sword touched Kaldin’s arm. The distance was too close to completely escape the offensive of the sword strike. “Kugh!” “Tch, damn fast.” As Kaldin groaned and stepped back, the young man clicked his tongue regretfully and took his stance again. With one exchange over like this, the second exchange was about to begin. “….” I watched their fight with one hand wrapped around my ankle. I wondered if I could be so relaxed, but honestly, from my point of view, I couldn’t help but be relaxed because it didn’t matter which side won.

If Caldin wins, I’ll just follow him obediently, and if the young man wins, I’ll become a slave, enjoy some fun for a while, and then escape when the time is right. Either way, I can escape from the underground plaza, so there’s no need to worry. So, I could keep my spirits high and enjoy the fight before my eyes. And, didn’t someone say something like this? Fights are truly fun when they’re between noobs. ———= Author’s Note ———= Chaos, destruction, ruin. If I were to briefly summarize the future development of the story, it would be like that. If only my ankle was okay….