Chapter 19: 8 Copper Duo
Well, Lydias here, so things will somehow work out.
With such optimism, we arrived at the scene. However, what we encountered was completely unexpected.
The first thing I saw was two elf women, tied up and naked, rolling on the ground.
Gale! You deceitful bastard!
We trusted you! This is unfair!
In front of them stood a man swinging a sword, making what I considered an annoying face, and by the standards of the Pan Continent, a perverted one.
Ufufu. Women who think with their breasts rather than their brains are really simple~ Ah, elves have small breasts too, right?
At a distance, five women were giggling, watching the entire scene unfold.
Kill them, kill them!
No, just killing them would be a waste.
What? You crazy bh, dont tell me
They came here to try and get with Gale, so we should at least show them whats down below before killing them!
A genius, I see. Alright! Strip down, Gale!
Their cheerfulness was evident. It was clear they treated the execution of others as a fun event.
Assessing the overall situation and the conversation I overheard, along with the betrayed expressions on the faces of the two captured elves, I could roughly estimate what was happening.
This was the scene where a man had flirted his way into an elf party, only to reveal he was a spy for a raider party.
Ugh. That must be what they call a real gold digger. Unlike me, who only aims for ones wealth and body, why go as far as targeting peoples lives?
Shaking my head briefly, I suddenly felt a strange sense of dj vu looking at the two elves rolling on the ground.
Being naked, it was natural for my gaze to wander, but for some reason, I couldnt take my eyes off their faces.
Those two. Ive seen them somewhere
Huh?
Then it hit me.
The thug elf duo who ripped off my 8 copper last time!
Yesterday, I happened to meet them and exacted my revenge tenfold by stealing their wallet, but ended up in huge debt after getting carried away and offering to buy Lydia a meal!
The coerced date cost me a whopping 2 gold, 38 silver, and 76 copper in just one day! Lydia generously(?) reduced it to 2 gold and 30 silver, but thats still enough to spin the gacha 230 times!
Of course, Lydia wasnt rushing me to pay it back right away, nor was she exploiting me by asking for something else if I didnt have the money. It seemed like she just needed an excuse to keep me around longer.
Had Lydia mentioned that she received a lot of help from Ellie during her novice days? Maybe she was trying to repay that favor through me.
Well, thats one thing, but my debt increasing because of those two bhes was a separate issue.
The blood of the Dang Family flowing within me (it isnt) whispered I must return the grudge tenfold!
Though I wished to just let them die Lydia wouldnt allow that.
If I must save them, then I should at least get something out of it.
But right now, the ones who still owed me a lot were about to die at someone elses hands, not mine.
Thinking so, something seemed to boil up from the depths of my stomach, unbearable to contain any longer.
So, I decided not to hold back.
Gyah!!!!
Jonah?!
Lydia, who had been hiding to assess the situation, tried to stop me but it was too late.
I had already dashed out, kicking off the ground.
Whos there!
They werent called raiders for nothing. The moment Gale heard my voice, his smirking face hardened, and he became alert of his surroundings.
His face noticeably relaxed when he discovered me.
Whats this? So even brats enter the labyrinth now. This pretty one might fetch a good price if we sellhuh?
Of course, he immediately trained his sword on me after noticing the dagger in my hand.
That guy named Gale wore heavy makeup and had an annoyingly coquettish expression for a man, but he seemed quite skilled with a sword. Even though I caught him off guard, his stance was stable.
But if there was no visible opening, you just had to create one.
How dare you my 23 gold!!
What nonsense are you talking about!
Gale stood there, confused. That was exactly the reaction I was aiming for. I took advantage of the moment he was slightly distracted and fired the crossbow on my wrist.
Ssshhhk!
Hmph! Such a trivial attempt.
Gale scoffed as he deflected the incoming arrow with his sword. I expected this. Operating in this area means having the confidence to easily handle a Horn Rabbit. Naturally, he could deflect such an arrow.
However, in the process, he had to make a move. That was enough.
I lowered my upper body, taking a crouching stance. My body tilted naturally as the center of gravity shifted. Just before completely falling over, I spread open my entire body.
Like a compressed spring shooting out, the elasticity of my entire body explosively propelled this small frame forward.
Tadat!
What?!
Gale was flustered and swung his sword again in an awkward stance. It wasnt difficult to dodge the sword that wasnt properly powered and whose tip wavered.
With just a slight twist of the waist at the right time, the blade that had lost its target whizzed past close by.
I took half a step further, driving my knee into the guys groin.
Crash!
What!
Though I couldnt crush it properly because something hard was in the way.
Are you wearing a chastity belt?!
Its a groin guard, you dumb brat!
Distorting his heavily made-up face, Gale swung his pommel down towards my head. It seems he hadnt learned his lesson from the speed I demonstrated a moment ago.
I dodged the pommel by shifting my body to the side and swung my dagger toward the unprotected inner side of his wrist.
The leather gloves might protect the fingers, but they dont cover the wrist. It was his fault for not using something better.
Slash!
Aaagh!
Blood spurted from Gales wrist like a fountain. Unable to hold the sword due to the cut reaching his tendons, Gale still maintained a firm grip with his other hand.
Perhaps that was why. With a fierce look in his eyes, Gale swung the sword with one hand.
Die!
Hmm.
He didnt seem like he would go down easily. Well, thats natural given that his life was on the line. I would need to neutralize him more thoroughly then.
Taking a deep breath, I stepped on Gales thigh and jumped up high. Then, I twisted my waist to flip my body in the air.
Whoosh-
The sword passed by where my torso had been. This time, I swung the dagger towards his wrist on the opposite side.
Being upside down and mid-air, the angle was a bit off but it was okay since the wrist wasnt the real target anyway.
Do you think the same trick will work twice?
Sneering, Gale twisted his wrist to dodge the dagger. Laughing at such an attitude, I extended my empty arm.
Think it will. Because its a different trick.
The target of my empty hand was, of course, the sword Gale was holding. He was already grasping it with one hand, but now he was barely holding on due to the excessive twisting of his wrist.
I swiftly dove in and pickpocketed the sword.
Uh?
He made a dumbfounded sound as his sword was stolen from him. Then, in front of him, I crouched and flipped over.
Naturally, my head rose on top, and the sword I was holding went even higher. It then fell, striking down on Gales remaining wrist.
Slice.
Aaaagh!
While Gale fell into a panic and froze, having his wrist severed by his own sword, I landed in the exact posture I had been in, crouched down, and spun around.
Swoosh!
-Aaaagh!
Before his scream even ended, his ankles were cut, and he collapsed, no longer able to stand.
Though it hadnt been completely severed like his wrist tendons, it was cut deeply enough. He wouldnt even be able to walk unless someone treated him.
Ahn, need to escape!
Of course, Gale, who still hadnt realized his genre had changed to limb amputation, struggled to get up.
Thud.
Why wont my legs?
But all his attempts failed, and struggling in place was all he could do.
Just like the two elves he had caught, Gale crawled desperately in an attempt to get away from me.
After watching Gale for a moment, I then lifted the sword I was still holding in one hand.
A proper longsword was indeed a bit heavy. Barely managing not to stagger, I struck down on Gales leg.
There.
Thud!
Kee, aaaaah!
Once his calf was pierced by the sword like an insect pinned to a display, Gale was incapable of doing anything and began to beg me with a panting voice.
Pl, please spare me! Im sorry! No, I deeply apologize! Ill do anything, just please spare my life.
No. Who said I was going to kill you? And its our first time meeting today, so how could you have done anything wrong to me? I dont know what youre talking about.
When he saw me shaking my head in disbelief, the guy froze with a dumbfounded expression. The makeup he had on was running down his face from his tears and snot, making him look quite the mess.
However, realizing that I wasnt going to immediately cut his throat, he rolled his eyes anxiously and asked.
So are you sparing me?
Men arent supposed to cry like a little baby. Stop crying before I really kill you. Zip!
Hic. Sob
When I snapped back at his wimpy reaction a bit irritably, it caused him to cry even harder, albeit a little quieter.
Wow, how unmanly. I wouldnt say anything if it had been before everything was screwed over, but if you were already screwed, you might as well try to look cool.
Of course, if I were in that situation, I was confident I would have wailed my heart out.
I clicked my tongue and looked back. There, probably much stronger than Gale, stood the five women who were likely the main force of the raider party.
It wasnt much different there. Lydia had beautifully sliced off the raiders heads with her semi-transparent broadsword.
My goodness. Is that another sword? And it looks expensive, too. Just how serious was she about her equipment?
When I waved my hand at her, sending a sign that I was okay, Lydia sighed deeply and waved back.
Good. So that was the end of this situation.
Kicking Gales side, who was still sobbing quietly, I spoke to him.
You know what you have to do now that theyre all dead, right?
Uhh?
First, spit out any hidden loot you have. Then youll confess everything that happened, and whether there were other accomplices or other plans. Then Ill take you to the guild.
Raiders were usually executed on the spot but if they managed to survive and come out, other options became available.
Because just like the by-products of monsters, the guild bought raiders as slaves.
In this case, since they were criminal slaves, not ordinary slaves, they couldnt pay the price of their bodies and gain freedom.
They would need to live the rest of their lives as slaves But still, you could live, couldnt you?
Yes, yes! Ill tell you everything! Ill confess everything, so please.
Good decision. Then, tell the details to that red-haired noona coming over here with a scary face. Ah, just in case, if you try to flirt like you did with those elves, then youll die by my hands, understood?
!
Gale nodded his head frantically. He should have understood by now.
After dumping Gale on Lydia, I crouched down in front of the two elves who were shivering for some reason.
Blonde hair and green eyes. And the slender beauty typical of elves. They might even be related, seeing that their facial features are similar.
The only difference was the length of their hair; one had long hair, and the other short.
Seeing them up close reminded me of the time they swindled 8 copper coins from me.
In my annoyance, I slapped their slender chests and asked,
Long time no see, pretty misses. What did you use my 8 copper for?
Huh?
Youre that
Could it be that they still remember me? The two began to tremble. I gave them a broad smile.
Their already pale elf skin turned even paler.