Volume 2 Chapter 67 The Story Of ‘Natra’ I
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Waterman interrupted while Christy was reporting.
The black-haired witch shrugged.
”I’m here. Liam is still exploring the area with the help of the Guild staff. I need to go pick him up later.”
”We must thank the adventurers at the East End Guild.”
”Is there any trace at the hideout?”
”There were signs that someone had been staying there. There were traces of a campfire too. But for a place that was used as a hideout for a long time, there were no supplies like food, knives, or clothes… things necessary for living. There was an unusual amount of ash at the campfire, so everything might have been burned. I think the non-burnable items like knives were taken away.”
”…There must be another accomplice. Either a companion of the apostle or someone from the Easterners we thought we had cut ties with. If they were relying on the Eastern merchant guild for supplies, they might have thought it would be bad if the merchant guild’s supplies were found at the hideout.”
Hearing Waterman’s words, Maribel slowly opened her mouth.
”If we think normally, it would be the apostles that Kian took down. After putting the Insect Master’s man to sleep, they disposed of the burden, Rachid, and also covered up the evidence at the hideout. Didn’t they head straight to our fortress after that?”
”Then what about the man’s corpse?”
Kian expressed his opinion on this.
”If you take it out to the wild and dismember it, the beasts will come drawn by the smell of blood. It’s untouched wilderness out there, so there are plenty of wolves and bears. If it’s a strong jawed one, it will even crush the bones to eat.”
”Or, they ordered the East End adventurers or poor people in refugee camps to just dispose of the bodies. ──But it was a problem. After all the evidence was removed so carefully, Azrael Even sending a protest letter would just be a slogan. When I think about it, the reason why there were bodies whose faces were crushed by chemicals was probably because they were the masterminds who were strengthening the militants.”
”I’m creating a sketch based on stories from the Insect Master man and the guy Kian caught before. I’ll check with related merchant guilds like ‘Mao Yue’ based on that. It might reveal connections to Azrael’s towns or streets.”
”When I get back to the castle, I will quickly draft a message. It’s not a complaint, but rather a document asking, ‘We captured an Azraelian assassin; do you have any leads?’”
”Please consult with Sir McCutchen. You can’t make decisions alone.”
”…I understand.”
”I’ll send Manon to the castle. You can go back first.”
”Got it. Baron Waterman, when should I come next? Should I wait until the day of the ceremony?”
”Ah. The security inside the fortress is our responsibility. We won’t need help from you adventurers. ──But if you can be hired as a common soldier for the Margrave, that’s a different story.”
The bald knight said this and took out a contract from his pocket.
”In our country, we don’t maintain a standing army. However, we do employ adult men as guards to ensure a minimum level of security. These are separate from our knights, squire knights, and knight trainees and distinguished from nobility within the guards. Still, it is an honorable job to protect people’s safety.”
”Hah.”
”If we determine that you have the necessary legal knowledge, noble customs, and etiquette, which qualifies you for promotion, there’s a chance for a higher position. If you wish, I’ll also support you. I’ve wanted a man proficient in languages for a long time. All our knights come from rural nobility and have only the basic knowledge of our writing learned at a Western Church monastery. Honestly, hiring interpreters from outside every time something comes up has been a hassle. Eventually, I hope you’ll conduct language courses for new knights.”
’Huh? A language instructor in the fortress?’
(This is too much… I wonder if there’s any benefit for me.)
”I had also invited the person I hired for interpretation as a language teacher, but they must have thought that if they taught us knowledge, they would lose their job, so they always muddle through the lessons and leave. Thanks to that, my members’ language learning progress is not very good.”
”I see…”
As Kian silently looked down at the contract he was handed, Waterman patted him on the shoulder.
”The ceremony will be held 3 days earlier than scheduled. Please get yourself ready by then. I will send a letter through the Adventurers’ Guild the day before the ceremony, so please check whether the schedule changes or if it will be held as planned.”
”Understood.”
”Please also think carefully about that contract. Well, I will take my leave now.”
”Christy, let’s return to the castle.”
”Yes.”
Maribel, who had been silently listening, said that with a smile.
Kian moved to the side and waited for Waterman, Maribel, and Christy to exit the waiting room.
”…Kian.”
Maribel called softly as she passed by.
”Thank you for your assistance on the day of the ceremony. Goodbye.”
”Yes, take care.”
Kian replied in a businesslike manner, and Maribel smiled sweetly as she left.
Left behind, Kian let out a sigh and looked down at the contract handed to him by Waterman.
(The conditions are good for a regular guard… is this Waterman’s way of showing sincerity?)
Of course, he had no intention of working under that bald knight.
’Just because he’s bald, right?’
(You should probably meditate or something by now.)
* * *
After returning to Christy’s house, he went down to the basement.
In the underground herb vineyard, golems made of soil were still trudging around taking care of the underground Botanical Garden.
It seems Serena hasn’t returned yet.
Maybe she is still searching for Azrael’s apostle with the guards, or perhaps she is going to equip herself with the gold coin Kian paid as a special reward for today.
’Another longsword, or maybe a magician’s staff? That girl was reading a spellbook and studying.’
”Yeah, to completely change the armor, one gold coin raises a question mark. The mercenary-style armor that Serena is using is quite the piece.”
’It must be the standard gear of the “Storm Herd” mercenary group, probably.’
”I guess so. Now…”
Kian pushed through the herb vineyard and entered the almost unused training room.
Christy must have been excited when she built this underground space; it had a lot of equipment set up with great effort.
The space was wide, about 30 square meters.
”Kitsune”
”Oh, right here”
This is what it means to strike a chord.
A beautiful girl with black hair and brown skin appeared on her knees beside Kian, who was barefoot on the well-trodden brown ground.
She was wearing a white and red shrine maiden outfit that he had bought for Kitsune, rather than the blood-stained monk’s robe she wore the last time they met.
It seemed that the black monk’s robe suited her better in color, but Natra’s looks were so good that it wasn’t strange at all.
She had one of the writhing Tengus in hand, gripping it tightly.
”There are 3 days until the ceremony starts”
”Yes”
”I’d like you to train with me during that time”
Saying this, he took off his backpack, Windsong Blade, and Magic-Draining Mirror from his back.
”What kind of training is it?”
”What do you mean? Of course, it’s Azrael’s Dance Swordsmanship. Is there something else?”
”My own magic knowledge”
”Kitsune’s own…? I see, come to think of it, I wanted to strengthen you because you had especially high magic power among the Night Wraiths. Were you a magician in your past life?”
”Yes”
Kitsune answered calmly in a voice almost without inflection.
Kian gazed down at her intently.
(Speaking of which, she hasn’t properly introduced herself since absorbing Natra)
He had treated her as a mindless Night Wraith until now, but with her consciousness awakened, he should acknowledge her as an individual.
She is his comrade.
Linked by a bond thicker than blood, she is Kian’s closest ally.
Kian nodded once and sat down cross-legged on the spot.
Kitsune, kneeling, followed the movements with her eyes.
Her slanted eyes, straight nose, and thin lips were just like Sarah from days gone by, stirring his heart unconsciously.
Calming himself, Kian urged Kitsune to sit in a more comfortable position.
”First, shall we introduce ourselves? I’m Kian. What’s your name?”
”I have no name.”
A girl sitting in seiza, Natra.
Her eyebrows were beautiful, as if drawn with a brush in a single stroke.
She answered calmly and continued to stare at Kian expressionlessly.
”Call me Kitsune or Natra… whatever you wish.”
”Hmm. Do you have memories from your past life?”
”Faint landscapes. However, my body belongs to Natra Nakash.”
”What about Natra’s memories?”
”Most of them remain. I consumed the unnecessary memories.”
”I see.”
The base body is Natra.
Then, the specs and routines of thought must also conform to her.
If that’s the case, he can’t tell if the girl sitting properly in front of him is Kitsune or Natra.
’I am both. If you wish, I will act as Natra. As your loyal Natra.’
”────”
That means.
It suggests that he could treat this girl, so similar to Sarah, like a slave?
By the way, before leaving his homeland by ship, Kian was a virgin.
Premarital intercourse was forbidden, and the relationship between men and women was not deep enough to have secret affairs.
(Yes, if such a beautiful girl were supporting me as a fiancée, a boy before adulthood would surely believe in love.
My feelings were one-sided.)
Sarah remained loyal to Azrael until the end.
If she were truly loyal and loved Kian deeply, she would have abandoned Azrael and come with him.
(Well, it’s wrong to seek such genuine love.)
At the very least, if Kian were Sarah, she would have discarded Kian long ago.
That is the true nature of Kian Vahid, a cold-hearted man.
(My thoughts are straying. I need to return to the main point.)
”Do you still remember Azrael?”
”Yes. We came to this town to purge the fools posing as Azrael’s Death Sword User.”
”Those posing as Azrael’s Death Sword User? Are you talking about the international crime organization ‘Azrael’s Death Sword User’?”
”The same incident occurred in East End.”
Kitsune narrowed her eyes and continued.
”There were incidents where victims’ bodies were dismembered. In our Nakash family’s jurisdiction, 3 murder cases were predicted, and as foretold, 3 wealthy individuals and high-ranking members of the monastery were brutally murdered. My elder sister and father deduced that the culprit was a graduate of the monastery due to the use of ‘Secret Technique’ and dispatched our apostles to various locations. ──Investigate the exiles. If suspicious, purge them. This is the order from above.”
’Natra’ took a clean breath and concluded.
”The suspects that have emerged in the investigation are you ── Kian Vahid and Oswald of Ramsey.”
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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