Revenge is Sweet

“What should we do?”

I conversed with Inis while keeping my eyes fixed on the adventurers. I was ready to burn them at the slightest suspicious movement.

“I’m not sure. I never even imagined the count’s daughter would suddenly appear here…”

“I thought their behavior was a bit strange for adventurers. But I certainly didn’t expect the count’s daughter to actually show up.”

I looked at the adventurers for a moment and then asked.

“What’s the reward for rescuing the count’s daughter?”

“It says there’s a reward of 100 gold coins.”

I was startled by her answer. A much higher amount than I’d expected. Or is it? Maybe it’s too little for a count to offer for his daughter?

“That is tempting.”

It might not be much by noble standards, but it was certainly a large sum for us. With that kind of money, we could buy everything we needed right now.

We could get a house on the outskirts, if not in the center. It would take a bit longer to get to the labyrinth, but we could live more freely.

I could practice my divine power more, and Inis could train her swordsmanship more extensively and freely. We’d have to cook our own meals, but we wouldn’t have to wear robes while eating.

All of this could be ours just by bringing that woman back to the surface. And that would be extremely easy for us.

“Inis.”

My head was spinning with these material fantasies dancing before my eyes. I felt like I was entranced by gold coins.

“Yes?”

“Slap me once.”

At times like this, a slap can help clear your mind. I made my decision and asked her.

“What?! How could I hit you, Master! No way!”

Inis waved her hands in alarm. But my resolve was firm.

“Quickly. I’ll allow it. Hit me. Hurry, before I give a different order.”

“Master. Are you sure you won’t regret this?”

“I’m asking you to hit me so I won’t regret anything. So hurry up.”

Seeing my determination, she finally accepted. She realized persuasion wouldn’t work.

“How hard should I hit you?”

“Hard enough to snap me out of it.”

“Alright. Here I come!”

She immediately took her stance. I tensed my abdomen and waited. Inis’s fist moved in an instant and struck my stomach.

Thwack!

“Guhk!”

I felt the wind knocked out of me. For a moment, everything went black. When I came to my senses, I was kneeling on the ground. Inis was crouched in front of me with a worried face.

“A-are you okay?”

I had asked for it, but I never dreamed she would hit me so mercilessly. Did I offend her somehow?

“I-I’m fine…”

I got up with her support. The spot where she hit still throbbed, but my mind was indeed clear now.

The 100 gold coins were tempting. But what we were about to do was murder. The Labyrinth City didn’t care about conflicts between adventurers, but killing each other was strictly prohibited.

Of course, no one could do anything about what happened inside the labyrinth. That’s why we were planning to do this here.

“Let’s kill them all.”

If we only save the count’s daughter, many problems would arise.

The fact that she’s a noble. The fact that we wouldn’t be able to control her once outside. Also, the fact that nobles despise Teufels.

Above all, I was most concerned that my identity as a devil contractor might be revealed.

If nobles found out I was a devil contractor, they would try to use me. Or they might try to kill me.

Either way, it wouldn’t be good for me. I was hiding like this precisely to avoid such risks. I couldn’t take such a risk for just… well, not “just,” but 100 gold coins.

“That does seem right, doesn’t it?”

“Yes. We can earn money anytime. It might take a while to earn 100 gold coins, but it’s not an impossible amount, right?”

“That’s right. With your skills, Master, you could earn that much quickly… well, maybe not immediately, but still quite fast.”

Yes. Inis was truly a practical slave.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

“Yes. I’ll follow your orders, Master. Though I do feel a bit sorry.”

“For what?”

“After all, the count’s daughter hasn’t done anything wrong. But she’s going to die simply because she was with those bastards…”

“That’s just how life is, isn’t it?”

It’s not like I wasn’t concerned.

Even though I was someone who mercilessly burns people, I wasn’t without compassion. I did feel sorry for her. But was it worth betting my life on? Absolutely not.

“For us to live, she must die. Remember that.”

“Yes.”

Inis, who had looked slightly sorrowful, nodded firmly. She seemed to have finally made up her mind.

“H-here it is.”

The adventurer who had approached handed me the pouch. I checked inside. It was filled with gold and silver coins, as well as magic stones.

“You carry gold coins around?”

“Ah. Our party… usually carries a lot of money like this. Just in case.”

At those words, I glanced subtly at Inis, asking if this was true. But she shook her head. Meaning he was lying.

Why would he suddenly lie about this? Probably because of the count’s daughter. He likely thought that if we knew there was a noble, we might dispose of them here out of fear of future consequences.

“So he’s not completely stupid…”

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. Inis.”

I called her name as I put the pouch in my bag.

The man frowned. His eyes darted around, then suddenly widened. His head creaked as it turned to look at Inis.

“I-Inis? C-could I possibly see your companion’s face?”

I shrugged. This was entirely up to Inis. She took off her robe and shook her head slightly. Her black hair swaying.

“It’s been a while.”

Now the adventurer’s eyes looked like they might burst. He stepped back and pointed at Inis. The finger pointing at her trembled violently.

“Y-you, how did you…? S-surely…”

“What? Are you surprised to see the woman whose leg you crippled and turned into a slave standing right in front of you?”

He looked at me and quickly reached for his sword.

Slash-

“AAAAARGH!”

Inis’s longsword cut off his wrist faster than he could draw his sword. The man screamed as blood gushed from the cross-section.

Bang!

She immediately struck his face with her shield. The man fell backward, clutching his head.

“Ungghhh…”

“Do you know how painful it was when I lost my leg? Of course not. If you had known, you wouldn’t have mocked me like that. So now I’ll…”

She lifted one of the man’s legs. Inis grabbed his ankle as she spoke.

“Show you-“

Crack!

“AAAAAAAARGH!!!”

The ankle turned mercilessly in a direction it shouldn’t bend. When she let go, the foot dangled loosely. That would definitely never heal.

“Fuck! What the hell are you doing?!”

The companions in the back rushed toward us. The count’s daughter sat trembling far behind them.

“Fire Arrow.”

I used my power without hesitation. The two men stopped in their tracks at the sudden appearance of flames. As I moved my hand, the fire arrows began flying toward them.

One adventurer raised his shield. I flicked my finger to control the arrow. My divine power descended, avoiding the shield and piercing him.

Fwooosh!

“AAAAARGH! Hot! Hot! Hot! Hot! HOOOT!!!”

The man rolled wildly across the field. He clawed at his armor with his fingernails before collapsing. Finally, the man disappeared into a pile of ash.

“F-fuck!”

The adventurer who had witnessed this turned in the opposite direction. He was heading for the stairs. He had realized there was no chance of winning.

“Fire Arrow.”

I immediately shot another arrow and dealt with him too. He burned while calling for his family. Terrible screams could be heard, but I felt not the slightest compassion.

“Ungghhh…”

While I was dealing with the two adventurers, Inis had grabbed the man’s other ankle.

“Don’t. Don’t. DON’T DO IT!”

Was it because he knew what pain awaited him? He begged. Urine dripped from between his thighs. The stench was overpowering.

“Don’t do iAAAARGH-“

Crack!

Without any change in expression, she snapped his ankle. His foot dangled just like the other one. The man was now completely unable to walk.

“Ungghhh…”

He crawled along the ground with his remaining hand. Inis blocked his path. The adventurer looked up at her and shouted in a broken voice.

“FUUUCK! What did I do so wrong?! You… you got hurt because you were stupid…! Why blame us?! You should blame yourself for being stupiiiid!”

“I never blamed you. I actually think I was stupid too. Rather, I’m grateful to all of you.”

“What the fuck are you saying?!”

“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have met my master. I’m truly thankful. So now I’ll send you off peacefully.”

“FUUUCK! If you’re grateful, spare me… please spare me… PLEASE…”

She turned to look at me. I shook my head without hesitation.

“I’m sorry. My master says no. So goodbye. Oh, and the reason you’re dying like this is because you’re weak. Don’t blame anyone else, okay? Blame yourself. Well then.”

“Bullshit-“

Stab!

Inis’s blade pierced the back of the man’s neck.

“Guk, gurk, grrrrrk…”

With a sound like boiling bloody phlegm, the green field turned red. The man didn’t survive even ten seconds before meeting his death.

“Whew…”

She let out a deep sigh. She took out a cloth and wiped the blood from her sword. At a glance, she seemed unaffected, but I could see it. I could see Inis’s hands trembling.

“How do you feel right now?”

“…It feels amazing!”

Inis smiled with a brighter smile than ever before. She bit her lip hard, but laughter still leaked out. She must be extremely happy.

Well then. We’ve dealt with those we needed to. Now only the count’s daughter remains.

“Fire.”

I incinerated the man’s corpse. After confirming it had turned to ash and blown away, I headed toward the noblewoman.

“Ungghhh…”

She was sitting down, trembling violently. When our eyes met, she hiccupped.

Why didn’t she run away? She had plenty of opportunities. Of course, if she had fled, I would have immediately used my power to deal with her. Thinking about it that way, perhaps she was wise.

“P-please spare me…”

She pleaded with both hands on her knees. A desperate voice. She seemed very attached to life. Well, as a noble, that’s understandable.

“I’m sorry, but that won’t be possible.”

Since she was someone who had to die unjustly, I showed as much courtesy as I could.

“D-don’t you need money? I-if you save me and tell my father, h-he’ll give you money! A lot, in gold coins! I-I’m the count’s daughter! The count’s daughter!”

“I’m sorry.”

I said firmly.

“Ah…”

“Inis.”

It would be easier for the noblewoman if Inis cut her throat cleanly than if I killed her.

“Yes, Master.”

I nodded, and Inis, understanding my meaning, drew her longsword.

Shing-

At the sound of the sword leaving its scabbard, the noblewoman’s body trembled uncontrollably. Having already wet herself, there was nothing more to come out.

“I’m sorry.”

Whoosh!

Just as Inis brought down her sword, a red portal opened before our eyes. Time seemed to flow very slowly.

Click-clack-

The familiar sound of high heels. Soon, a woman with red hair emerged from the portal.

“Wait a moment, would you?”

It was Egun.