Chapter 41
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To gather information and search for a friend, I leave the town. I made a small mistake yesterday, as I ma.s.sacred the a.s.sailants, since I should have at least kidnapped one of them to draw out information.
I was annoyed that they ruined a good shop that served delicious cooking at great pains, so I shouldn't have just quickly killed them. I need to reflect. All that waits for me after losing my composure is death. In my heart, I mutter to myself『I am a revenge oni. I no longer need something like emotion. I am just an existence that cool-headedly kills people.』Oh, I vaguely feel my heart cooled down. With this, I am now a cool-headed revenge oni. I, a revenge oni, is in a coffee shop that is positioned in a place where I can see the attacked inn where I was eating my meal yesterday, and was staring intently at the inn which is in a disastrous condition.
"When I go home, I better buy a type of blanket without forgetting." (Kearuga) (TL Note: Not sure what it means when it says 'type of blanket')
There is nothing as tasteful as a blanket in that deserted house. Thanks to that, it was quite hard to sleep last night. For a healthy and pleasant sleep, it's necessary to urgently obtain a blanket.
"As I thought, it caused an uproar." (Kearuga)
A popular inn attached to a tavern in the town has been reduced to ashes, and from the window, I can see a crowd of people around the demolished inn. I carefully search in that area.
I'm searching to see if one of the a.s.sailants from yesterday is there. Even without the a.s.sailant's information, its fine to search for the guys looking for Eve's traces, and if Eve is their aim, they will certainly come here. Apart from the differences in behavior, searching for high level demons with my【Jade Eyes】is also another option.
Doing nothing and just gazing at it is lonesome, so I continue watching while enjoying tea and confectionary. A chiffon cake with plenty of fresh cream; it's very delicious.
It's not a monster's milk, but it's from a normal cow. The poison in a demon's meat doesn't change whether or not you are a human or a demon, but apparently the mad cow race are experts at handling normal cows, and the fresh cream used in this chiffon cake is one of the best out of what I've ate until now. I should buy some as a present. I'll treat Setsuna and Freya to it, and I'm sure they will be delighted.
"Fumu, I thought it would be fine to leave the mad cow race alone, but if they can make things this good, that would be a waste. I'll make good use of them." (Kearuga)
I was about to decide after only looking at some of the mad cow race. I'll protect them as much as I can from the younger sister princess's military forces.
I order a second, second serving of the black tea. It seems that suspicious people aren't really appearing. They might have already finished their investigation, or maybe the only chasers who came to this town were the a.s.sailants from yesterday? Either way, staying here any longer would just be a waste of time. I'll return after buying a chiffon cake as a present.
"No, it seems it wasn't a waste after all. What do you want?" (Kearuga)
I sensed killing intent from the rear, so I turned around and asked a question. The person from the rear thrust a knife aimed at my vitals without warning. What an impatient fellow.
"Unfortunately, I can see you." (Kearuga)
The sword saint ability I got from Kureha,【All-Seeing】. It lets you feel everything that exists in your sword range on your skin. Even if I can't see it, there's no problem.
I dodge the projected knife with half a step, grab the extended arm and throw it by using the opponent's power. I turn around with one rotation, strike the a.s.sailant's back to the ground and push the knife that the a.s.sailant pulled out from his/her chest against his/her throat. (TL Note: d.a.m.n… I can't think of a gender neutral possessive word)
"I'll slit your throat if you move even one finger, and I'll be hearing various things from you." (Kearuga)
I kindly begin to ask a question. The inside of the shop becomes noisy. Good grief, I wish these a.s.sailants would choose the place where they attack me. At the very least, couldn't they wait until we go to a place without any signs of life? This is why people without common sense are bothersome. In the first place, this person is completely exposing how suspicious they are by wearing a whole body robe and attacking me. I'm not a complete novice like Eve, and it's like saying out loud that you are a suspicious person.
"… Return Eve-sama. If you return her now, I'll let you live."
It's a woman's voice. She's most likely somewhere around the middle of her twenties. Eve-sama? If she's adding sama to her name, she's probably her comrade.
Weird, even from the remarks Eve has made herself and the memories I read with【Recovery Heal】, the guards protecting her have died and there's no one left to help her. Besides, how did she find out about how I kidnapping Eve?
"The one asking questions here is me. Without saying anything unnecessary, answer my questions." (Kearuga)
I make a shallow cut in her skin with the knife. The a.s.sailant's heart rate increases bigger, and the amount of sweat also increases. This person isn't experienced. Together with her agility, I would say she's mediocre, and insufficient to be first-cla.s.s.
It would be quicker to read through her memories with【Recovery Heal】, but depending on the density and content of the opponent's memories, I could become dazed for several seconds or tens of seconds. There might be other enemies, and so the risk of using【Recovery Heal】here is high.
"I will, Eve-sama" (TL Note: So… it means "I will [action] Eve-sama", but in j.a.panese, it's cut off before she says the action, so I don't know what I should translate it to.)
It happened when the a.s.sailant was about to say something. A thunderous sound resounded, and they were footsteps. Those weren't the sound of people's footsteps. I hear even louder footsteps from outside of
"No way, is it an Ironhead Cow!?"
A mad cow race man is riding one monster that's bulldozing its way towards us at a recklessly fast speed. The name of that monster is Ironhead Cow. It's a cow that possesses an unbelievably hard head, enough to be called an iron head. Its size is two times the size of an absurd horse, but even with that large build, its instantaneous speed surpa.s.ses one hundred kilometers. I wonder what will happen if a big, hard and fast thing charges into us.
The answer is simple. The shop's wall will break into very small pieces like sugar craftsmans.h.i.+p, and it will continue charging at us without change. That's obvious. An Ironhead Cow's full power blow can even break castle walls, so this thin coffee shop wall will be helplessly destroyed. It seems it's planning to kill the a.s.sailant and me by running us over.
"Is that your comrade?" (Kearuga)
"No, it's the enemy."
"I see." (Kearuga)
I hit the a.s.sailant's chin with a backhand blow. Her consciousness has been reaped. Since it became troublesome to listen to her, I got rid of her consciousness, and it's perfect timing, because I was planning to decide whether I should kill or abandon her by kidnapping her, taking her to a safe place and then drawing out her memories with【Recovery Heal】.
I'll take her and run. It's a pain to fight the Ironhead Cow from the front, and there's an impediment right now.
Besides, I have properly marked him. I threw a knife smeared with plenty of special spices that only the ice wolf race which possesses an excellent sense of smell can smell, and it pierced through its soft flank. Even if the knife is taken out, plenty of the spices have entered the wound and the smell won't be lost for three days and three nights.
As long as not much distance is taken, we can chase them with Setsuna's nose. For now, I should quietly leave and slowly attack them later in their sleep. Out of everything, I am the best at attacking someone in their sleep. Carrying the a.s.sailant on my shoulder, I jump. The Ironhead Cow charges at the place I was in a few moments earlier, and without stopping its momentum, it crushes the inside of the shop. I strongly bite down on my back teeth.
"Ahh, I'm seriously feeling irritated. These guys are trying to break all of my favorite shops one by one." (Kearuga)
The little-known but good tavern that served the bear meat as a delicious bear pot. And now, this coffee shop that served chiffon cake with plenty of fine quality fresh cream.
Even though I was pleased with both of them and had decided to come again. With this, I've become unable to enjoy myself twice. As a matter of fact, it's beyond help. I won't easily kill this mad cow race man, as well as his comrade. It's not something that can be compensated for by just their lives.
"I'll engrave grudges over food into the pith of your bone." (Kearuga)
Saying that over my shoulder, I quickly leave the store, choose an alleyway and head deeper and deeper inside while carrying the a.s.sailant on my shoulder. My speed increases after I change it with【Transformation Heal】and I also remove my brain limiter to take distance with all my power.
The mad cow race comrade on standby outside also tries chasing me, but our speed is too different. I moved past him in the blink of an eye. Without change, I enter a suitable deserted house. I have intruded into a house two days consecutively now. Even though I personally want to carefully spend my time in a splendid inn.
"Now then, I wonder what I should do with this woman." (Kearuga)
I roughly drop off the unconscious a.s.sailant. I know that she is unmistakably a woman from her voice and the sensation I got from carrying her on my shoulder. After searching for any nearby presences to ensure my safety, I put up a barrier in the deserted house.
Since it would be dangerous to let her hold a weapon when she awakens, I strip her bare and tie up both her hands and legs. Just as I thought, she was hiding many dangerous things.
"It's surprising to see that she's neither from the mad cow race or the kokuyoku race." (Kearuga)
I made her naked, so I can see her race features. She's from the gold leopard race that has gold hair, leopard ears and a leopard tail. Originally, it's a race that shouldn't have been in this town. It makes me curious why someone from the night cat race would be searching for Eve, but that kind of thing can be found out in an instant with【Recovery Heal】. (TL Note: The night cat race part might be a typo from the author, since this person should be from the gold leopard race.)
"That's an erotic body. It seems like it'll have solidity." (Kearuga)
Setsuna, Freya and Kureha are all beautiful girls, but to the end, they are young ladies. Since I don't have many chances to connect my body with adult women, it has a fresh charm. I searched into it a bit, and the sensation and smell is different. That being said, adult women only have rareness, and they fall several levels compared to elite women like Setsuna. When I occasionally feel like having a different experience, this might be good in its own way as well.
At any rate, it's time for the fun, fun【Recovery Heal】. In this situation, I'll be safe even if I'm engrossed in her memories for a few dozen seconds. I will thoroughly search through this woman's memories. As I thought, I'm curious as to why I was found out even when I changed my appearance, and my pride was terribly wounded. I have to search for the reason.
"Hmm, I see. This woman is more or less Eve's ally huh." (Kearuga)
My【Recovery Heal】finished. At this woman's core, she is a member of a resistance organization towards the current demon king.
Orders to demons from the demon king are absolute, but it's nothing more than an ability to send an【Imperial Command】and make them listen to you. If enough time has pa.s.sed, weaknesses that naturally come also appear. Of course, if there are people that hold animosity towards the demon king, people who systematically oppose the demon king appear.
Her organization was created from the races being oppressed by the demon king gathering together. Their objective is to make the next demon king come from the oppressed races and destroy the authority structure the current demon king made. For that reason, they kill demon king candidates that come from races that receive favor from the demon king and protect demon king candidates that come from the oppressed races. Naturally, Eve is also a candidate. Because their organization exists, Eve might have become the demon king in the first world. They're a cruel lot. To think they would use girls like Eve for themselves. As someone with good sense, I can't forgive this kind of thing. I am definitely not handing Eve over.
"Anyways, I never thought the reason I was still found after changing my appearance was my smell. That's an idea a human wouldn't have hit upon." (Kearuga)
This woman remembered the smell of my belongings I left behind in the inn and seemingly followed that scent. If so, I thought she would be better off searching for Eve's scent, but it seems she hadn't obtained anything where Eve's smell remained. You could say that I'm lucky that it was me that she chased after. If it was Setsuna or Freya's scent, it would have been bad. I should return ahead of time today.
Well, whatever the case, I guess I'll get rid of this woman. She isn't Eve's acquaintance, and she's from an evil organization that is trying to kidnap Eve to use her. Besides, it's just troublesome. I don't want to be dragged into things like an anti-demon king organization's intentions. With those sorts of things, Eve will end up relying on it and my worth will be lost. Just having me to rely on is fine for Eve; she doesn't need that kind of organization. There is one more thing I found out, which is that the mad cow race man who attacked the coffee shop was trying to get rid of this woman, and not me. In other words, without this woman, I would be able to enjoy that cake again. She's rapidly contributing to make me irritated.
"I've thought of something good." (Kearuga)
Even if I got rid of her, a second and third a.s.sa.s.sin will come to try and shelter Eve. If that's the case, it's more profitable to make good use of this woman. Moreover, if it goes well, I'm killing two birds with one stone by turning her into my disposable friend that achieves my conditions to take revenge on the younger sister princess.
"However, I need to work out what I should make as an excuse to take revenge. That is the true problem. No, thinking about it rationally, isn't it fine to take revenge on this woman? This woman has done absurd things after all." (Kearuga)
This woman suddenly thrusted a knife at my vitals from my back, so she shouldn't make any complaints no matter what I do. I also have my cake grudge.
I also want to experiment with my new aphrodisiac that was too strong to use against humans that I miraculously made by combining various monster's poisons. Though she is a demon and has a strong body, there's a fifty-fifty chance of her becoming my doll or becoming a disabled person and break. Well, even if she doesn't turn into a disabled person, it's already the end of her life. How pitiful, it ends up like this because she doesn't pick her targets to attack. As a kind person, if she ever lives a second life, I'll wish for her to live in a smarter way.
"Well then, I guess I'll have her dispel my food grudges and grudge of being thrusted at with a knife from the back." (Kearuga)
I broadly smile and fetch a few bottles from my pouch. Tonight, I'll also have Setsuna follow the smell of the spices to get rid of the mad cow race man. Let's start a quick and fun thing that can't be undone. My pants are stretching quite violently. Yeah, I understand now. When I thought that I'm unusually going on the offensive today, I realized it's because Eve refused and put it on hold even though I had finally gotten in the mood. My destination-less libido was making me go weird. I'll shoot each shot while feeling good and become the usual kind and composed Kearuga.
Author's Note: Thank you for always supporting me! I am very happy when I receive bookmarks and appreciation!
TL Note: The author wrote a small advertis.e.m.e.nt about the release of Maou-sama no Machizukuri volume 2, but I left it out.