Volume 3 Chapter 57 Situation Explanation I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”I’m right here, my lady.”
”Rufna!?”
Sarah stared at the dark elf with disbelief.
But when she confirmed that Rufna stood among the mountain soldiers, she bit her lip as if she understood something.
”…What? You betrayed me? Could it be that the ambush failed because of you?”
”Calm down, my lady.”
”Don’t come near me!”
Sarah barked sharply and looked at Kian.
Her black eyes trembled as she spoke, pleading for help.
”Prepare a boat… to the nearby fishing village. …Kian, please. I can’t get caught here. If I do, the Nakash family… please.”
”……!”
(I never thought our emotional reunion would turn out like this.)
He felt lost for the first time in a long while.
It had been months since his thoughts had come to a complete stop.
Even in her confusion, Sarah tried to fulfill her duty as an apostle of the Nakash family.
If she realized she couldn’t escape, she might stab herself in the throat with her falchion.
(Damn, it shouldn’t be like this.)
He bit his lip.
In his mind, ‘glasses’ voice whispered, ‘See? You should have just made her a slave right away.’
”Elder Sister.”
”Huh?”
Just when it seemed all was lost, a clear voice rang out from the riverbank.
Unlike the confused Kian, this voice was steady and unwavering.
There was a sound of a wooden sword being drawn behind her.
”Excuse me.”
A short apology.
In the next instant, Natra leaped out like a gust of wind from behind Kian, slipping into Sarah’s embrace in a flash.
Everyone there was stunned by her speed.
Even if Kian had been ready, it was doubtful he could have reacted in time.
”Whoa!”
”Ah!?”
The attack from the wooden sword was like lightning.
The speed of her strikes had increased far beyond before.
While Kian practiced ‘Pursuit of the Shadow,’ Natra had been training alongside him.
Her agility and muscle strength had evolved dramatically in just a few days, just like Kian.
After taking a merciless swing from her sister’s wooden sword, Sarah was sent flying backward.
Thud, splash──.
Rolling down the riverbank, into the rushing water.
After a moment, soaking wet Sarah stood up, spitting out water.
”Ugh…”
Despite the blurry water, she held her falchion steady and ready.
Sarah staggered but swung the tip of her sword at the mountain soldiers around her like a blind warrior.
She wasn’t the kind to lose fighting spirit so easily.
Shaking her head roughly to shake off the water, she threw a small stone wrapped in a blast magic at Natra, who was trying to move the hostage aside.
”…ah, …!”
The small stone exploded with a sharp pop.
Several tiny blasts popped one after another.
Natra pushed a mountain soldier aside, then lightly kicked the ground and started moving like a hopping rabbit.
*Leap* *Leap* *Leap*.
She dodged all the exploding stones with quick leaps, then with one more leap, she jumped right into Sarah’s close range.
”────”
”…!?”
Their gazes locked.
Natra’s eyes showed the expected outcome.
Sarah’s eyes widened in shock.
Slipping through deadly fights with Kian, Natra had no blind spots.
Her sharp diagonal slash said without words, “I win every time.”
”Ah…!”
*Clang*──a loud metal ringing as the falchion flew out of Sarah’s hand.
”────”
Natra then struck the defenseless woman’s stomach, and when she staggered, slammed her down onto the ground on her back with a throwing move from the western swordsmen.
”Agh…!”
”It’s over. You don’t stand a chance.”
”Cough… Natra, why…?”
”────”
”I’m glad you’re alive, but why did you betray us too…?”
”Sir Kian, shall I break this woman’s arm?”
”…! Natra, stop! Please, Kian!”
”My lord, this woman is a warrior monk of Azrael. Don’t be fooled by such cheap tricks.”
”No way, it’s just acting! Natra, what happened to you!? You were so loyal to Nakash, why are you with Châtillon now!?”
”Sarah, that girl looks like Natra, but she is not Natra.”
Kian slowly stepped closer to Sarah, with Priscilla and Rufna beside him.
Seeing Natra act without hesitation, his unsettled feelings began to calm down.
(I should thank Natra later. She probably didn’t want to hit Sarah, but she swung her sword for me because I was slow to decide.)
”Stop! Don’t come any closer!”
”Alright. I don’t want to kill or capture you. If you want, I can send you back to Azrael. Isn’t that right, Ms. Priscilla?”
”I don’t mind. Well, even if she goes back now, the new Lee family has put a price on her head. If they find her, they’ll just kill her.”
”W-what… ahh…”
Sarah tried to break free from Natra’s strong grip, but Natra was much stronger and kept holding her tight.
Soon, Sarah, already weak, finally gave out and her body went limp.
”Mountain soldiers, thank you. I’ll send orders later. For now, return to the base.”
”Yes.” “As you command.”
”Eh!? Wh-what are you…!?”
”What? As you can see, I told the soldiers to retreat. Lord Kian, isn’t this better?”
”Yes, thank you, Ms. Priscilla. …Sarah, here. It might not be much, but this is your travel money to Azrael and some funds to start with. If you want, I’ll also arrange a boat.”
”Eh…”
Kian threw out his purse and gold coins clattered in front of Sarah, who was crawling on the ground.
Her sweaty face twitched tightly in shock.
”Natra, please let her go.”
”Yes.”
”────”
The hold was released, and Sarah wobbled to sit up.
But all she could do was stare blankly at the scattered gold coins.
She didn’t understand anything at all──
She looked totally lost and confused.
Kian repeatedly called out the name of his childhood friend.
”Sarah”
By calling her name, he made her strongly aware that he recognized her as a person.
”……”
Kian pointed to a large rock nearby.
”How about we calm down and talk? I mean no harm. I just want you to understand the situation first.”
”────”
”Whatever you do, you need information. Right? I will give it to you for free. I have no intention of binding you. What do you say? Can you at least listen to me for old times’ sake?”
”You are…”
”Huh?”
Sarah hugged her injured right arm, still sending wary glances his way.
”You are the ‘Azrael’s Death Sword User,’ aren’t you? If that’s true, I have to eliminate you for Nakash.”
”No, that’s not it. I know the situation from what Natra and the others told me, but I’m not that killer. I’m just a Lower-rank Adventurer trying to survive in this borderland.”
”…I see.”
It was as if all her strength had drained away.
Sarah slumped her shoulders, looking completely lifeless.
She sat down weakly on the ground by the riverbank.
She placed her hands on the ground and her stomach let out a small growl.
Kian knelt in front of her and forced a smile.
”I only have some emergency rations, but I can share a few with you. Please eat while you listen to me.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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