Chapter 42 – I Won’t Hold Back Anymore

I Won’t Hold Back Anymore

The auction continued after that.
Cursed artifacts that may or may not be real, forbidden magic books, and…

“Be patient, Marian. Please.”
“No, why are the boots I threw away being sold there? Don’t stop me, Ariel!”
Even strange items of questionable taste. We almost blew our cover because Marian got excited.
…By the way, Marian’s boots sold for 20 gold.

“Hmm. Are you two really a married couple? You seem a bit awkward.”
Oh no, seeing us bickering, the couple at our table started looking at us with suspicious eyes.
“O-Of course we are.”
“…We are married.”

This time, I put my arm around Marian’s waist. A loving couple by anyone’s standards…
“Hmm…. Isn’t that something even close friends could do?”

…or so I thought, but for some reason, the woman in front of us had strict standards for couples.
“Not a couple? Could it be…”
“Perhaps they snuck in secretly…”

This is bad. At a moment when the auction was briefly paused, other people’s attention was being drawn to us. Some of them were even suspecting us.
At this rate, we might be discovered…!
I wasn’t the only one who thought this.

“…I’m sorry, Ariel.”
She whispered softly, just loud enough for me to hear.
Then her hand gently lifted my chin.
Yes. As if…

‘…A-Are you going to kiss me?!’
Marian’s gaze beyond the mask was purposely avoiding looking directly at me.
Yet her face was getting closer and closer.
My heart is pounding. Am I going to have my first kiss like this…?

As our lips were getting closer and her warm breath was about to scatter on my face,
“I hope the auction has been satisfactory… Now, we will unveil the special items you’ve all been waiting for!”
The presenter started speaking with perfect timing.
At the same time, the gazes that had been on us shifted towards him.

“Ahem. I’m sorry, Ariel.”
“N-No, it’s okay.”
I thought my heart was going to burst. Marian’s face was red too, probably just as embarrassed.
…So much that even her mask couldn’t hide it.

An awkward silence fell between us for a moment.
What broke that silence was the men entering through the entrance.
They were struggling to move suspicious objects.

“Phew. Finally, they’re coming out. I hope there are some goods I like today. Something a bit tough, that can endure for a long time.”
The woman sitting at our table said, seeing this.
“Ariel. It seems…”
“Yes.”

Marian’s and my gazes crossed. We both had some idea of what these special ‘goods’ were.
Rattle rattle.
Along with the sound of wheels being dragged onto the stage, a fairly large structure was moved.
The structure was surrounded by black cloth, but through the gaps that weren’t fully covered, what was visible was… human eyes.

“Now, I’ll introduce today’s goods!”
Whoosh. When the black cloth covering the structure was removed, what was revealed was,
people crammed into iron cages.

Despite being suddenly exposed to light from a space covered by blackout curtains, the people in the iron cages didn’t move at all.
‘They’re not dead, but…’
Can those figures really be called alive?

The appearance of those beyond the iron bars was empty, as if their life force had been drained. There was no meaning, no hope in their dimly shining eyes. Just expressions steeped in despair.
The age range and genders varied. From young boys to young women, and even elderly people who looked quite old.
As soon as they were revealed, the presenter, holding a voice amplification magical tool, continued the auction.

“Now, we’ll begin the highlight of this auction…”
“Wait.”
Creak.
Just then, a man appeared, interrupting the presenter mid-sentence.
“…He’s here. That’s the host of this banquet. Oh, he’s coming this way. I wonder what’s going on, even stopping the auction…”

Step, step.
As the woman sitting at Ariel’s table said, the man slowly started walking towards Marian and me.
‘Those two. They’re magicians.’
Two attendants with their hoods pulled low were quietly following behind him.

They seemed to be trying to hide the flow of mana, but they couldn’t escape my eyes. Those hooded figures are undoubtedly magicians, and quite high-level ones at that.
And dozens of subordinates appearing one after another. They each carry weapons, creating an ominous atmosphere.
Step, step.
Everyone’s attention is focused on them. But ignoring that, they headed straight for Marian and Ariel.

“To think rats would sneak in. Did you think we wouldn’t notice just because you used a perception interference spell?”
…It seems they finally got information that the original owner of the invitation Marian obtained had been captured.
“W-What’s going on?!”
The guy surrounded us with dozens of people. The woman next to me screamed in surprise.

“W-What on earth did you do to offend the host… Kyaaah!!!”
Bang─!
No longer needing to hold back, I slammed the woman’s head into the table.
Her words had been outrageous from the start. What? Something that can endure for a long time? Something tough?

“What are you doing… Urgh!!!!”
Bang─!
I slammed the guy who rushed at me, claiming to be her husband, into the table in the same way.
The wine on the table shattered, creating a scene as if they were covered in blood. No, it might be real blood. It doesn’t matter.

“…Ariel.”
“Yes.”
Inhuman bastards. We exchanged glances for a moment before facing the soldiers blocking our way.
“Make those rats kneel before me immediately.”
At the words of the man presumed to be the host, binding magic burst from the fingertips of the two hooded attendants.

Whoosh─!
Two ominous chains enveloping Marian. It’s magic usually used on large monsters.
The chains made of condensed mana completely covered Marian, restraining her movement.
…At least on the surface.

“Rats like you should be sent into those iron cages… Huh?”
The man’s confident voice became tinged with fear.
“Finally, I don’t need to hold back anymore.”
Marian’s voice showed signs of relief.

“H-How can you move?”
“Hold her tight!!!”
What would happen if normal adult men tried to tie up a moving elephant with ropes?
‘Of course, they’d be dragged along.’
The two hooded figures were being ridiculously dragged along the floor.

Many strong men rushed to subdue her, but it was futile, and the so-called host, his confident appearance gone, started backing away.
“D-Don’t move! If you get any closer to the boss, this woman’s life is forfeit!”
Amidst this, one of the subordinates who thought they couldn’t stop Marian’s advance started threatening her while holding a knife to my neck.

‘Did I look easier to handle? Well, I probably do look less intimidating than Marian.’
Her appearance, simply ignoring dozens of knife strikes and spells flying at her, advancing forward with chains wrapped around her body, was literally ghostly.
It was the reason she became an object of fear for demons.

“Kyaa. Save me, Marian.”
“Are you joking?! Do you not care if your pretty neck gets scarred…”
Crack.
‘Ugh. The smell of blood.’
The head of the guy holding me burst like a watermelon in an instant. Of course, it wasn’t me who did it, but Marian’s doing.
She had thrown a condensed blade of energy, accurately hitting the guy who was pointing his knife at me.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve seen Marian this angry.’
“Kyaaaaaaah!!!!”
“R-Run away!!!!”
‘Where to?’

“It won’t open!!! Where’s the key, where’s the key!!!”
People trying to leave the banquet hall in panic. But the door that had been open until just now didn’t allow their exit. I had immediately locked the door with magic.
‘Beasts wouldn’t even do this, we can’t let them escape.’
The participants of this banquet are all accomplices. They should have a lengthy interview with a torture specialist in the Empire’s underground prison.

“Y-You useless bastards!!! Stop her! Stop her!!!”
The host, terrified, shouting at the surrounding subordinates to stop Marian.
But there were no subordinates left around him. The dozens of subordinates were all pressed to the floor, integrated with it by my gravity magic.
The two hooded figures who had been resisting were already sprawled on the floor like rags in Marian’s hands.

Steam was rising from the host’s crotch area. Ugh, the smell.
“…”
Her expression, standing in front of him, is chillingly calm. Like a calm water surface. But deep anger sleeps beneath it.
“You can do without one arm, right?”

Grab. Marian grabbed the guy’s arm and…
“Aaaaaaaargh!!!!!!!!!!!!”
…separated it from his body as if pulling off a doll’s arm.
‘Ow.’
“You don’t die just from losing an arm. Ah, was this not cut off?”

In contrast to the host screaming loud enough to shake the hall, the surroundings were enveloped in silence.
Out of fear that they might be the next target, and overwhelmed by her appearance.
“Does it hurt? They must have suffered more.”
Marian trying to grab his remaining arm.

They got information that rats had snuck into the hall, but they didn’t know those rats were actually lions. Stupid guy.
“Please wait a moment.”
“Hm? You are…”

Just as I was offering a small condolence to the guy who would have to eat like a worm from now on, someone grabbed Marian’s arm.
“Guest. I deeply apologize. However, this person is still necessary for our side, and has some value. I don’t think he can fulfill his role properly with both arms cut off.”
“So?”
“Could you not go any further than this?”

…The person who grabbed Marian’s hand was the butler-dressed man who had slapped the cheek of the maid who spilled wine on me.