Volume 7 Chapter 2 Beast Girl Assassin
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The next day, I went to the Adventurers’ Guild to report what I’d learned from the underboss woman.
”So, what did you find out?” the branch manager asked, resting his elbows on the desk as usual. His bald head gleamed under the light, and his hands were clasped before his chin.
”Well, I tortured her a bit, and she spilled everything right away,” I replied nonchalantly. “You know how it is—those guys love torturing others, but they can’t handle it themselves. It’s laughable.”
”Normally, nobody can withstand torture, especially not the kind you do.” He gave me a sidelong glance. “Just out of curiosity, how did you get her to talk?”
”I used a needle coated with a poison that slowly rots the body. Kept pricking her bit by bit, different spots each time. She held out for a while, but once I pricked her n**ple, that was it. She broke. Kind of boring, really.”
”…And what’s she doing now?”
”Huh? She melted.”
”…I see. She melted,” he repeated flatly, glancing up at the ceiling with distant eyes.
I mean, I was just doing what had to be done, right? There’s no way I’d let someone who kidnaps innocent children, turns them into slaves, and sells them off, walk away alive.
”Sorry, got off track. So, what else did you manage to get out of her?” he asked, snapping back to business.
”Not much beyond what I already knew. They were just small-time thugs. But there was one guy—he had a mithril sword and knew spirit magic. Apparently, he’d hunted a few half-elves using his abilities.”
”Oh? And?”
”Well, it seems there’s an organization that buys half-elves at a high price. Every time he caught one, he’d sell them off to that group.”
”I see. And their true identity?”
”As usual, all he’d say was ‘I don’t know.’ But I did learn one thing—the deals always went down in the town streets of Falz.”
At my words, the branch manager raised his eyebrows slightly.
”Can you go check it out?”
”Of course. Falz isn’t far. With Vera along, we should get there in three days.”
”Thanks. I’ll send a fast horse from the Falz Guild on my end.”
”Understood. I’ll head out now.”
Leaving the branch manager’s office, I went to find Lena and Vera. I’d gotten used to the rough atmosphere of the guild hall, and the two of them were chatting happily with Ms. Mel at the reception.
”Sorry to keep you waiting,” I said, approaching them. “As I mentioned this morning, we’re heading to Falz.”
”Understood,” Lena replied promptly.
”Right away,” Vera echoed with a nod.
Over the past few months, we’d been scraping by with the thinnest threads of information, repeating the cycle of chasing every lead we could find. Thanks to that, both Lena and Vera had become used to traveling and had gained considerable experience in searching and fighting humans. Their natural talents, honed through real-world combat, had turned them into full-fledged adventurers. Now, they weren’t just my precious party members—they were bound to me, body and soul.
After a three-day journey, we arrived in the town of Falz. It wasn’t as large as Verdaine, but it thrived as a regional city supporting the frontier. And naturally, the larger the town, the more trash you’d find.
”Roaming around a place like this alone is just asking to be kidnapped, you know?” I said.
I had Lena walk alone down a sketchy-looking alley, and it didn’t take long for her to attract unwanted attention. Three thugs appeared, each carrying a large burlap sack.
”Ah, Lena. Don’t kill them—I’ve got a few questions, okay?” I called out casually.
”Understood,” she replied without hesitation.
The three thugs, startled at first, quickly regained their arrogance and burst into raucous laughter. But of course, while they were so busy being cocky—
”Hah!” Lena snapped.
She unleashed a flurry of spinning kicks, striking their jaws in quick succession. One by one, they crumpled to the ground. Wait… wasn’t that the technique I used back when I took Lena from that village head—the bald, fat guy? To pick it up from one demonstration and use it in live combat… This girl really is a genius.
”It’s all taken care of,” she said with a radiant smile, dragging the unconscious thugs and stuffing them into the sacks they had brought. Yep. She’s a full-fledged adventurer now.
”Next, I want to try!” Vera chimed in, her competitive spirit ignited after seeing Lena in action.
Now that she could use spirit magic, there was no way she’d fall behind mere thugs. And both Lena and I would be watching her back from the shadows, so there was no danger. More than anything, Vera herself was full of motivation. Their hatred for slave hunters was immeasurable.
──And so, ever since arriving in Falz, we’d spent several days capturing and torturing thugs. Unfortunately, we hadn’t gotten any concrete results. Well, it’s not guaranteed that the hideout of those people is even in this town, but for now, it’s our only lead. In the end, all we could do was keep at it diligently.
Today, we were about to bring another captured thug to the guild for questioning.
Yeah. We’re being followed.
Even Lena and Vera hadn’t noticed it—someone was tailing us with incredible skill, suppressing their presence. It wasn’t the kind of clumsy stealth thugs tried. This was a subtle pursuit, blending into the bustle of the town without deliberately hiding, maintaining the perfect distance—neither too close nor too far.
This wasn’t something an average thug could pull off.
I pretended to talk to Vera and caught a brief glimpse of our tail. They wore a nondescript hooded cloak, the kind suited for travelers, so I couldn’t make out any details—but their build was small.
Yeah. Judging by their physique and how they moved, there’s no doubt about it—they’re an assassin.
”Finally caught something, huh?” I murmured.
”What’s wrong?” Lena asked, tilting her head as she carried the burlap sack.
”Oh, yeah. Taking this shortcut is quicker.”
With that, I deliberately steered us into a deserted back alley.
(Did I make it a bit too obvious?)
As the thought crossed my mind, I moved ahead—when a powerful wave of killing intent surged from behind.
That was when the other two noticed.
”Lena, fall back while protecting Vera,” I ordered, turning as I drew my sword.
”Yes!”
Lena immediately discarded the sack and drew her dagger, shielding Vera behind her with fluid precision. Watching them move in sync filled me with a brief sense of satisfaction.
That’s when I finally laid eyes on our pursuer.
”Whoa—fast!”
The figure closed the distance in a flash and lunged at me.
”Urgh!”
They clawed at me with a vicious, unarmed strike. I barely managed to react in time, my blade grazing them—but all I got was their cloak. They slipped away with incredible agility.
Not only were they fast, but their use of the cloak was skilled. Cloaks can hinder movement in a fight, but they also hide weapons, disguise one’s build, and conceal openings. In a battle where both sides are reading each other’s motions, that can make a critical difference.
This opponent… isn’t one to take lightly.
”Lena, Vera. Stay back. Don’t interfere,” I called out sharply.
”…Understood,” Lena replied with a tinge of regret.
She probably took that to mean, You’ll just get in the way. And to be honest, it’s easier for me to fight someone like this alone—so she’s not wrong. Still… I’ll owe her an apology later.
Focusing again, I faced my opponent. The one who had dodged my strike was already taking distance with that same unnatural speed, crouching low with both hands on the ground.
From beneath their flipped-up hood, I caught sight of gray, curly hair and large, triangular ears. Golden eyes glared up at me as a low growl rumbled from their throat.
”Grrowl…”
Their fierce expression, complete with bared fangs, somehow still held a hint of childishness. There was a youthful charm to them that, under different circumstances, might’ve made me want to cuddle them.
”A beastman,” I muttered.
The moment I said that, she lunged at me again in response.
”Gah!”
With another sharp advance, she unleashed a barrage of strikes using both hands. Looking closer, I noticed iron claws affixed to her fingers. I thought I’d dodged them all, but a few strands of hair drifted down in front of me.
That was close. Those iron claws—favored by many beastmen—are probably laced with poison. I’d know. I’ve used similar tactics myself.
Again, she leapt back to gain distance, carefully gauging her range.
She thinks all it takes is one scratch to win this fight. And normally, she’d be right.
But you see—this kind of battle is exactly my specialty.
”You’re skilled, I’ll give you that. But sorry. I’ve already won,” I said, calmly.
”…Don’t mess with me!” she shouted.
It was the first time she’d spoken—until now, all she’d done was growl. As expected, her voice was as cute as her face.
She lunged at me again, this time with a soaring leap.
”Hey!”
I jumped back, flinging a small glass vial at her.
Mistaking it for an attack, she reflexively slashed at it with her claws.
Boom!
With a loud pop, the vial exploded in a cloud of white smoke.
”Gyain!? Gyain gyain gyain!”
Clutching her nose, she thrashed around in pain, letting out high-pitched yelps.
”Well, you see,” I said to her as she writhed on the ground, “the moment I realized you were a beastman, your chances of winning dropped to zero.”
She probably couldn’t hear me anymore.
The vial I’d thrown was a crowd-control weapon developed specifically for my master. Filled with gunpowder, red chili powder, and spores from paralysis mushrooms, it wasn’t just effective against humans—it was even more devastating against beastmen, whose senses of smell and hearing far exceed ours.
Now, all she could do was tremble, tears, mucus, and drool streaming down her face as she lay on the ground, unable to even bark.
To her, Lena and Vera slowly approached with daggers in hand, eyes locked on the downed girl.
”For daring to bare your fangs at the master we love—your sins merit death a thousand times over.”
”I’m going to kill you.”
Their voices were calm, but chilling.
”Wait, both of you! We finally caught her—don’t kill her! I’ve got a ton of questions I want to ask this girl.”
I quickly stepped in, stopping the two girls just before they reached the beastman and gently urged them to lower their weapons.
Honestly, the biggest problem with these two is how they lose all sense when it comes to me. I know it’s a sign of how much they care—but when it comes to matters of life and death, it becomes a real issue.
I don’t want them throwing away their lives for my sake. And I don’t want them killing without need, either.
Even if that makes me selfish… even if others call me a hypocrite…
What matters most to me are these girls.
Notes:
• Falz – A vibrant town, teeming with life, but also a hotspot for criminal activity. A place where danger lurks in the shadows.
• Lena – Female. A young slave girl in her early teens. Her appearance is emaciated with brown skin, long black hair, and grotesque scars across her face, including one that blinds her left eye. She wears a black collar and tattered clothing. Her relationship to the protagonist is that of a rescued victim. She is silent and appears to have endured severe physical and emotional abuse.
• Mel – Female. The receptionist at the Adventurers Guild branch in Verdaine. She is a woman of a certain age with long, messy blonde hair. Her relationship with the protagonist is casual and slightly teasing. She is laid-back but observant.
• Verdaine – The largest local city in the region, ruled by the Margrave of Verdaine. It houses a branch of the Adventurers Guild and is the protagonist’s temporary base. Located within walking distance from the unnamed village where Lena was found.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply