Chapter 246 Interlude: Amanda ①
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Steering off the route we were meant to take, we pulled over at a fortress located on the border between Greedia and Envyos. It’s an easy landmark to spot, which makes it perfect for marking a Teleportation¹ point. Mihiro and the others had apparently used this same path to reach Greedia before, so I left the driving to Mihiro.
”Well, if it isn’t the Masked Lord himself!”
I guess I’ve become a bit of a celebrity. To think my name has reached this far into the sticks – or rather, all the way to the national border.
”We heard the news! They say you sent that arrogant, silver-tongued ‘Hero’ packing. A masterclass in combat, truly! Man, I wish I could’ve seen it,” the fortress guard said, singing my praises.
He was laying it on a bit thick. It didn’t feel bad, necessarily, but I couldn’t help feeling he was putting me on a bit of a pedestal.
”That’s right, about the road ahead… we’ve had bandits crawling out of the woodwork lately. We’ve sent out subjugation squads a few times, but they keep getting their teeth kicked in,” the guard added.
”Is that so? Mihiro, what was it like when you passed through here?” I asked.
”I don’t remember hearing anything about it. I bet they started popping up while we were over in Wrathfuria,” Mihiro replied.
I see. Some bandit group must have relocated their base of operations here. Still, do bandits usually pack up and move that easily? Or was this a new gang altogether?
”Well, I’m sure the Masked Lord and his crew won’t have any trouble, but just in case…” the guard muttered.
It was true that we weren’t likely to be caught off guard. However, the reports suggested the damage was significant. Peddlers and travelers were being jumped and stripped of everything they owned. Some had even gone missing. In this world, “missing” almost certainly meant “dead.”
”Thanks. I appreciate the heads-up,” I said.
”No problem. Just doing my job,” the guard replied.
Still, a bandit group strong enough to repel a subjugation squad… I wondered about their numbers. A fortress wouldn’t send a thousand men for a simple cleanup, but even with the border’s defense, they probably sent around two hundred. If the bandits beat them back, did they have double that? Five hundred? I’d asked Mihiro about the terrain, and they said there wasn’t much in the way of cover. A group of five hundred should have stuck out like a sore thumb.
At the time, none of us predicted that something truly monstrous was lurking among them.
* * *
Most highways – if you could call a road with no towns a highway – have rest stops that act as relay points. We didn’t actually need one since we had the Prydwen, but we stopped anyway to mark it for Teleportation.
”…Something’s off,” I said, eyeing the facility.
There was an inn for overnight stays, stables for the horses, and a warehouse for food and supplies. At a glance, it looked normal.
”Is it because there are plenty of signs of people, but zero horses?” Mihiro asked.
They hit the nail on the head. Now that they mentioned it, that was exactly it. The place also looked like it hadn’t seen a broom in months. You could argue it was just neglected because of a lack of customers, but as an inn, there should at least be an owner or a maid keeping up appearances. Even in those classic RPGs, someone was always home. Here, the weeds were waist-high.
As we got closer, the picture became clearer. Ten people in the inn, twenty in the warehouse. Thirty people in total, and the place was a wreck. There was only one logical conclusion: the bandits were using this place as a hideout. But thirty people seemed way too few for a group that had sent the army packing. There were probably more. Still, even with thirty, any normal traveler – even with guards – would be in for a world of hurt. The ones who only lost their luggage were the lucky ones.
”Mihiro, Reese, you’re with me. Honoka, guard the Prydwen and take out anyone who tries to bolt. Tatei and Yokoo, stay inside. Alice and Sango, you too,” I ordered.
Everyone nodded. Despite the numbers, the three of us would be more than enough to handle this. Even if some tried to run, Honoka was waiting. My only concern was whether they were used to killing people… then again, all three of them had helped kill Sugita. They’d be fine.
”Alright, let’s go. Time for a little pest control,” I said.
I felt like Momotaro² heading off to Ogre Island. I’ll refrain from mentioning who the monkey, the dog, and the pheasant were.
* * *
I kicked open the door to the inn. The air was thick with a musty, stagnant stench. Clearly, ventilation wasn’t a priority for these guys.
”Well now, welcome—!”
Before the man behind the counter could finish, I whipped out my blade. The segmented steel of the whip-sword³ coiled around his face, and with a single, sharp tug, I wrenched his head clean off. Blood erupted from his neck like a geyser.
”Hmph. If you’re going to try to trick us, do something about the god-awful stench in here first. It’s enough to make my nose curl,” I muttered.
”Shit! We’re made! Get ’em!” a bandit screamed from the second floor.
Several men leveled their bows. I see – they’d been picking people off from above once they let their guard down.
”Look at all these targets! Leave the cash and the girls, and maybe we’ll let you live!” one yelled.
”And that weird carriage outside, too!” another added.
The bandits from the warehouse swarmed out, surrounding the entrance to keep us from escaping. They must have been watching from the windows. Every last one of them had a disgusting smirk plastered on his face. Did they really think thirty of them could take us?
Apparently, they did.
”Mihiro, take the ones outside,” I said.
”You got it!” Mihiro replied.
In a blur of motion, Mihiro dashed outside. Two heads hit the dirt before the bandits could even blink.
”Wha—?! This guy’s a monster! Surround him! Surround him now!” a bandit shrieked.
We’d been ready for this from the start. Taking a stance now was too little, too late.
”Dammit, fire!”
A volley of arrows rained down on us.
”Wind Barrier!”
Reese’s sorcery kicked in, a shimmering wall of wind swatting the arrows out of the air before they could even get close.
”What?! A mage dressed like that?! Ack!”
”Dressed like what? You mean ‘s*xy’? Sure, I’m dressed s*xy, but the only one who gets to do s*xy things to me is Goshujin-sama,” Reese said.
Reese leaped onto the second-floor balcony, her blade flashing in a single strike that pierced a man’s heart.
She used to be so prudish about anything s*xual, but ever since she became my “pet,” she’d done a total 180. Maybe it was a rebound from years of repression, but she’d become incredibly bold – but only with me. Oh, and Jessica, I guess. Whatever works.
Still… was I even needed here? It felt like Mihiro and Reese could handle this on their own.
”Eek! This bitch is too strong! Run for it!”
The bandits outside, terrified by Mihiro’s sheer brutality, turned tail and ran. Right toward Honoka and the Prydwen.
”Dammit! Oh? Wait, that girl over there is a knockout! If we can just snag her—”
The bandits charging Honoka suddenly found their heads sailing through the air. Honoka had unleashed a Wind Cutter. They died with vacant, stupid looks on their faces, probably never even realizing they’d been hit.
”My body belongs to Goshujin-sama! I’d never let trash like you lay a finger on me!” Honoka shouted.
Honoka had been shaken the first time she took a life, but now she didn’t even flinch. While killing indiscriminately is a problem, her blade was only ever turned toward scum like these bandits. I figured she’d be okay.
”Shit! Big Sis! Help us! These guys are too much!”
One of the bandits inside scrambled back, screaming for backup. “Big Sis,” huh? So the boss was a woman. That was a rarity.
”Good grief. You losers bragged about how you could handle it yourselves since they were ‘just women’… and look at this mess,” a voice echoed.
A door on the second floor was kicked off its hinges. A woman stepped out, placing herself squarely between the remaining bandits and Reese.
She was towering – not just in height, but in presence. Her skin was a weather-beaten bronze, her hair a flaming crimson, and her eyes were sharp as a hawk’s, glowing with a golden hue. She grinned, revealing a set of sharp canines – more like fangs, really. Her midriff was a rock-hard six-pack, and her armor was little more than a breastplate and a loincloth – basically bikini armor. It wasn’t particularly suggestive, though; it looked functional. She held a pair of tonfas – another rare choice of weaponry. But one feature stood out above all else.
A pair of bovine horns sprouted from the sides of her head.
”A Mazoku⁴…?” I muttered.
And not just any Mazoku, but one of the Ogre-kin. They were a warrior race, born with physical strength that dwarfed any human’s. No wonder the subjugation squad had retreated.
”You’re a tough one, little lady. Cute, too. I bet you’ve wrapped plenty of men around those fingers with a body like that,” the woman said.
”Don’t talk about me like some harlot. If anyone’s been ‘wrapped,’ it’s me,” Reese replied, shooting a quick glance my way.
”Hmph. Is that so? Hooked on that weirdo in the mask, huh? Well, I don’t give a damn who’s hooked on who. I just happen to despise cute little things like you. So, sorry, but I’m going to break you. Then I’ll let my boys have you as a consolation prize. The girls outside, too,” the woman sneered.
I couldn’t just let that slide. I started to step forward, but Reese held out a hand to stop me.
”Sorry, Goshujin-sama. She picked a fight with me. I’m going to finish it. Besides… I want to show off for you a little,” Reese said.
If she was that determined, I had to let her handle it.
”…Fine. But you’d better win. I don’t care if it’s ugly, I don’t care what you have to do – just win. I won’t tolerate a loss,” I said.
”You got it!” Reese replied.
”Heh. I figured you’d tuck tail and hide behind that man… you’ve got some spine! I hate cute girls, but I can respect that spirit. I’m Amanda. Amanda of the Crimson Lotus!”
”I am Rieslett. Goshujin-sama’s faithful servant and pet – Reese!”
The two women threw themselves into a life-or-death struggle.
…Wait, did she really just “come out” as my pet in front of everyone?!
—
Summary:
The protagonist’s party detours to a border fortress, hearing rumors of powerful bandits. They discover a bandit hideout at a rest stop and engage in a swift, lethal assault. The encounter culminates in the appearance of Amanda, a powerful Ogre-kin Mazoku who challenges Reese to a duel.
—
Trivia:
- The protagonist is now widely known as the ‘Masked Lord’.
- The fortress guards failed to subjugate the bandits despite having hundreds of soldiers.
- Reese uses wind-based sorcery and a blade.
- Honoka’s mental state has shifted to be comfortable with killing ‘scum’.
- Ogre-kin are a born battle race with physical stats far above humans
—
Character Insight:
Reese is seeking validation and ‘showing off’ for her Master, indicating her full acceptance and pride in her subordinate role. Honoka has fully integrated her combat experiences, no longer hesitating to use lethal force.
—
Behind the Scenes:
The author notes the chapter ended up being long and will be split, apologizing for potential delays due to work motivation.
—
TL Notes:
Notes:
• Mihiro – Post-gender swap of Yuki Chihiro: Height 160 cm, B-W-H: 82-55-80. Futanari. Short haired black hair, handsome.
• Honoka – Petite, cute “transistor‑glamour” girl with high‑level healing magic, built like a tiny bomb of lewdness and huge breasts. Started as a cold‑hearted slave mocking Sasaki, then flipped into full devoted “Goshujin‑sama” maid mode, obsessed with his scent and desperate to bear his child. Used to be Hidaka’s obsession, later violated by Sugita, which left her furious and tightly protective of the protagonist. Bashful smiles, but the second anything touches him she goes nuclear. Usually in a sleazy maid outfit, the anti‑aesthetic to Lotte and Nadja’s clean uniforms.
• Alice – A small, adorable girl summoned by Yokoo. Based on the ‘Red’ and ‘Black’ Majin versions. Stronger than Tate or Yokoo. Celadon Rank Monster Hunter.
• Reese – Jessica’s sister. Described by Alice as a beautiful blonde lady. She was previously under the control of Sugita’s skill and left in a state of despair and exposure after the effect ended.
• Sango – A bunny-girl with long white hair and red eyes; younger sister of Torimaki Ichigo.
• Tatei – Full name is Tatei Kozoo. Natsumi’s otaku buddy. Used to be tall and solid, now he’s 186 cm of skin and bones after anorexia wrecked him (52 kg, yeah, rough). Has the skill Materialization Alchemy and once crafted gear for the whole class. Ended up making the X‑shaped restraint stand used for Sugita’s execution—dark twist for a guy who just wanted to make cool equipment.
• Yokoo – Natsumi Sasaki’s otaku friend. His appearance is based on ‘Yoko’ from ‘Comic Party.’ Possesses ‘Materialization Summoning’. Accompanied by a Living Armor.
• Tate – Male Otaku friend of Reese. Gaunt and thin, wears glasses. Possesses Materialization Alchemy skill.
• Sugita – Leader of the Sugita gang and main bully of Natsumi Sasaki, born into heavy police privilege—his grandfather is the Superintendent General, his father a Superintendent—so every mess he causes gets buried. Lean build, sharp features, that cold, arrogant “I can get away with it” stare. Wields the unique skill Steal (窃盗), which he uses to manipulate minds and control women. Once impersonated the hero Sieben with a mask and greatsword, but lost everything and dropped to Level 7. He’s a “Hero” cursed to die and resurrect endlessly—turned into a Lesser Vampire, executed, and ultimately erased from existence.
• Jessica – Refined speech, pink-blonde vertical ringlets, green eyes, short with AA chest—a Cornaut noble girl obsessed with her sister. Now refuge-bound at the Assassin Guild headquarters.
• Amanda – Female bandit leader (Ane-san). 190cm tall, muscular build. Uses mana-extending tonfas. Becomes Orcus’s wife/servant after being defeated. Shows heavy tsundere traits. Known as Amanda of the Crimson Lotus. An Ogre-kin Mazoku with towering stature, bronze skin, red hair, and golden eyes with fangs and horns. Uses tonfas.
• Rieslett – Half‑Japanese, half‑Swedish girl with that forever‑young look—people keep mistaking her for her mom’s sister. Blonde (sometimes looks brunette under certain light). Outfit’s a clean mix: black cloak, white shirt, red ribbon tie, navy pleated skirt, knee‑highs, brown leather shoes. Works at Natsumi’s manor, got caught up in Sugita’s mess, and yeah… it didn’t end well.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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