The Spearmaster and the Black Cat

Chapter 67: Crimson Line Coiling the Wind

The source of the magic essence is several dozen men wearing leather armor with metal rivets.

They each have a light expression and are standing around the church with a hand resting on their longswords.

What’s going on?

Judging by their armor and the way they carry themselves, they aren’t soldiers.

Then, we are noticed by the bearded middle-aged leader of the group.

While flaunting his sword around, he opens his mouth to speak.

“-Oh, you’re here. Those longs ears. It’s no mistake. There’s a man I don’t recognize too?”

“Good grief, they were outside. We were supposed to search inside the church.”

It seems there are more inside the church.

A large number of men come from the entrance.

“You guys, don’t damage it.”

A sulking man wearing a beret in the middle of the group issues instructions.

“This blond hair, long-eared child. Are you called Rubia?”

The beret wearing man seems to know of Rubia.

The dark blue beret of a cross emblazoned on it, indicating a militia or country.

The lines of his face a sharp, his eyes are big and his skin tanned.

He also has a big nose, his earlobes are enlarged like those of a Buddha statue.

The mustache is plastered with black ink, connecting it to his sideburns.

Only this beret man is wearing armor that gives off a sense of formality.

A thick black and white collar is gathered around his neck, his chest plate is marked with a slightly faded black and yellow crest.

A yellow cross stands out of the left side.

Judging by his atmosphere, this man is an officer?

His hat and armor are different from the other people. He’s the leader?

“Eh, you know my name? Who are you?”

“It’s our assignment. We’re employed by a slave trading company. For now, will you come here?”

“Disgusting.”

Helpless, Rubia has an expression like a newborn faun.

Seeing a girl with such a face, I’ll help.

-Rollo.

I look to the black cat, and Rollo jumps down from my shoulder.

Transforming into her other form, she runs behind the men.

I open my over coat and extends my arms encased in purple armor.

The magic spear burdock appears in my right hand.

The sudden appearance of the weapon in my right-hand causes a stir amongst the soldiers of the slave firm.

I look around with magic observing eyes.

The beret man’s face twitches a little.

Mana is accumulating in the hands and feet of this captain.

He can use a fighting moji-type skill.

I move in front of Rubia to protect her and take a step forward.

“…This child says she doesn’t want to. I won’t allow you to kidnap her.”

“What? You plan to fight this many people?”

I reply with an innocent expression.

“Ah.”

“You understand? As you can see, we are 【Sand Falcon】 and received approval to 【Apprehend People】 by the slave system of the country.”

As evidence, he displays a parchment with a seal imprinted on it.

Apprehend People, Sand Falcon? I’ve never heard of that.

The desert country in involved?

I show an amused expression.

“…What about it?”

With a low tone, I stare at the beret man.

“Hou, such a fool… Still, you’re in this country. Since you’re protecting an elf in the 【Holy Church’s】 country, that makes you a heretic too. You’ll be fighting the 【Holy Country Hesfurato】 the 【Holy Church】 and 【Brimang Slaving Firm】…Are you okay with that?”

The beret man is casually threatening Rubia and me.

This system has been established thoroughly in this area.

“…I don’t care. As for the slave system, well, it doesn’t matter. Rather, I’d like a slave, a beautiful slave I can flirt with. …However, I’ve gotten to know this child. Now, I can’t abandon her.”

“Shuya-sama…”

From being me, I hear Rubia’s gentle voice.

Just a minute, I’m hustling them.

My justice boner is throbbing. (TL: “My justice is throbbing” is the actual line, but this is better.)

“Ha, aren’t you a little green? Captain, such a conceited youngster, I’ll kill him quickly.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Captain, rather than capture him, shouldn’t we just hit him?”

The surrounding men are getting worked up.

Hearing this, I laugh lightly.

They’re eager.

For now, I’ll give them a warning.

“I’ll give you one warning. If a single person raises their hand, no matter their position, everyone will die. If you beat it, then everything will be finished.”

Thus, while giving my warning, I rest the magic halberd on my shoulder and begin to move the finger on my left hand.

The moment I begin moving.

“Koitsu, you a fuckin’ fool? Be-”

Oh, someone responded.

With a furious expression, he approaches, spit flying from his mouth.

“Taste this.”

Another reacts as well.

Drawing their long sword, they come running at me.

-They seem to be lacking in self-control.

Despite the captain’s grandiose title of 【Sand Hawk】 and 【Person Apprehending】, they’re nothing more than rubbish.

-This is an excellent opportunity to test out Burdock.

I change my grip and sweep the crimson ax blade sideways.

The moment the men are close enough- I thrust the magic spear forwards.

A line of coiling crimson wind.

The ax blade collides with the enemy.

A sizzling sound arises afterward.

The two people are immediately sliced in half, their internal organs dance through the air.

The smell of burnt flesh can be detected.

Zaga told me the “Crimson ax blade” produce fire attribute, but I didn’t expect this much.

Looking where their bodies were cut in two, there are burnt sections.

“-W, what…”

“Hiaa, just like that, two people…”

“He’s not an ordinary Spearman. Weren’t his movements strange?”

“…I, I couldn’t see his halberd move.”

“Oi, oi…”

“Captain Zenbi, this, this is bad…”

I ignore their small fry banter… I reassess the feeling of Burdock.

I spin the halberd around, checking its balance. I toss it between my hands to check its weight, again, I turn it from my left hand back to my right.

Finally, extending my right arm- firmly, I stop the movement of the halberd.

Extending my empty left hand, I take my stance.

“It’s quite sharp. Its balance feels good as well.”

I suddenly smile.

…However, I don’t face them.

The men in front of me, they couldn’t actually see the nature of the attack that killed the first two people.

Even once I stop spinning Burdock, they stand, petrified.

These guys, why are they standing around?

Are they stupid…

“Rollo.”

Hearing my words, Rollo move immediately.

She approaches from behind the stunned men, silent like an assassin, extended her feelers and piercing a soldier’s skull with a bone sword.

He dies simply.

Staying low, Rollo moves to her next target.

Aiming for the leg of a defenseless man, she swipes with her claws at the back of his knee, leaving his flesh hanging in strips.

“Ahhhg, guua-”

Continuing, she wraps a feeler around a leg of the injured man, pulling him to the ground.

Like that, she tears into his throat while releasing a feline roar.

At such a time, Rollo is running through the enemy group, keeping them disorganized.

“Shit, surround!”

A man launches a counter attack, aiming the tip of his long spear at Rollodinu, but she easily slips around the attack, actually moving close enough to attack him. Thus, with fangs barred she leaps.

Again, she goes for the throat, tearing out his windpipe.

“Bogyaa!”

The man drops his spear and collapses, clutching his neck.

Of course- I join the fight.

A slanting blow of the ax blade cuts into a man abdomen, then I spin around to the left.

Forcibly pulling on the Crimson halberd, it is ripped from the man stomach without slowing me down.

Then, to the right a man has drawn his sword, aiming for my neck.

I spin the magic spear in my right hand. The red ax blade moves, knocking away the man’s sword.

The man is bent backward, exposing his chest.

Back, I present the crimson sear point to his open chest.

The hole where the spear punctures his chest begins to sizzle and his leather armor bursts into flames.

“-Higyaa!”

The burning man screams and writhes in pain. His arms twists, trying to call out for help…

But no one can save him, once the flames grow he breathes his last breath and falls.

The other people didn’t burn like that, so it seems to be something that happens occasionally.

Seeing him be burned to death, the surrounding men stop moving.

They’re full of openings. Distracted people.

I lean forward, aiming for a nearby man. His head like a base ball, I smack him with the butt end. Delivering a home run, the blue magic dragon tone destroys his head, splattering brain matter.

The dense blood and brain matter whirls through the air and blood gushes out of his neck.

Blood lands on my face. So, I swallow the blood.

-Yummy. I taste the lukewarm blood.

The blue magic dragon stone is also dyed red.

The magic dragon stone is hard.

Its brutality is different than Zaga’s description as beautiful.

I have such a thought while displaying a blood stained smile.

The men who can see me become frightened.

Was the attack too powerful and scared everyone?

“Uaaaah, ba, bake-”

“Hihiiii.”

The 【Slave Takers】turn around and escape in every direction.

My face covered in blood I chase after the escaping men.

-I swing the magic halberd to remove the gore stuck to the blue magic dragon stone.

The butt end of the shaft catches the leg of an escaping man, tripping him.

A finishing blow.

Burdock is spun around and stabbed into his head.

Of course, it’s the blue magic dragon stone.

The fallen man’s head is pulverized.

“-Shit, don’t run away. It will make it easier to kill.”

“Ha, hai.”

“Don’t run away! It’s just one Spearman and an animal!”

Captain Zenbi seems to be in charge, he yells out commands to the company.

Somehow or other, the men preparing to run hold back.

However, it doesn’t matter.

This time, I change to spear’s aim.

“Normal” Spearman. With this spear, I’ll kill all of them-

I am not kind, I smile a wicked grin.

A man frightened eyes extends his spear.

-What is this, moisture, sluggish, slow, it’s too slow! The wooden practice dolls of the past were faster!!

While remembering the Goldiba’s “Dancing Prison,” I avoid the man’s spear thrust with a half toe-turn.

I enter the Spearman’s range while turning, give a cross counter, and deliver the crimson ax blade to the man’s shoulder.

The red ax blade sinks to the middle of the enemy Spearman’s chest.

“Higyabababa.

The Spearman makes a strange sound that isn’t a scream.

Dark blood spouts from his chest.

The blood that touches the crimson blade evaporates, the smell of iron fills the air.

Such a thing- I pull out the crimson ax by kicking the cowardly Spearman’s chest.

And, I swing the magic halberd to secure this section of the battle field.

-A thrown knife appears.

-The timing is just right.

Turning so fast as to look like a purple blur- I spin burdock like the blades of an electric fan.

The thrown knives are repelled, bouncing away.

After repelling the knives, my partner is a soldier different than the one who threw the knives, actually throwing his longsword.

Is throwing away your weapon okay?

As a matter of course, I repel the long sword.

I ignore the man who threw the knives.

I turn to the man who threw away his long sword and kicks the ground with fighting moji enhanced legs.

With the explosive acceleration, he is instantly in range of my halberd.

I activate <Thrust> and the power spreads up from my legs through my arms.

The wind is dyed crimson and purple.

-The first time I’ve used a skill with Burdock.

The thrust easily pierces through the man’s leather armor, creating a circular red wound.

“Higo-”

The man’s face twists in agony, his knees hit the ground, and his body convulses.

With his arms stretched out to either side, he stops moving.

At that moment, the famous scene from the Platoon movie is recalled.

However, with the next scene, the memory is completely dispersed.

The circular crimson wound in the immobile man’s chest becomes thick, blood burst out like a broken balloon and the wound catches fire.

The flames bloom like a lotus and the wound is in the shape of a crescent moon.

It’s because I added the “twist” to <Thrust>.

It seems to be because of the halberd’s spear head and ax blade.

There is the sound of collapsing.

I turn in the direction of the sound.

Just now, Rollo killed the man who threw knives at me.

He is writhing on the ground. He is trying to staunch the blood flowing from his neck.

With this, only the captain is left.

“Hi-”

Rubia has become frightened.

It can’t be helped.

“Wha…”

Captain Zenbi has become frightened, looking like a little girl.

Seeing he gruesome scene, it’s not hard to imagine why.

“Now then, Captain Zenbi, about your slave firm, will you tell me why you’re here for Rubia? I’ll decide what to do with you depending on how you answer.”

Captain Zenbi’s will to fight vanishes, his long swords leaves his hand and his face is full of worry.

【Sand Hawk】 is the name of a professional unit that catches slaves for 【Brimang Slave Firm】.

It would seem Brimang Slave Firm is one of the few trading companies with permission from 【Holy Country Hesfurato】 to hunt down slaves.

Creating slaves, the country allows those with a “slave hunting license” to capture those with demonic or elven blood.

Not only 【Holy Country Hesfurato】, they also cross the border into the southern desert of 【Amefu Founder Country】 and kidnap those with elven blood in the oasis cities, turning them into slaves.

However, as 【Amefu Founder Country】 doesn’t often allow it, this rarely happens in the open.

He tells me all this boastfully.

I try asking about Rubia.

“How did you know Rubia was here?”

“From the Priest. Also, this town 【Beltozam】. The Priest told us about it all.”

Hearing what he said, Rubia shows an expression of disbelief.

“You lie, Donnet-sama, Priest-sama would never do such a thing.”

Upon seeing Rubia’s expression, Zenbi makes a twisted face.

“Iya, you know this person? The man who introduced himself as Donnet had blue eyes, he was wearing the green vestments only priests of the Holy Church are permitted to wear.”

“Th, that…”

Zenbi’s words corner Rubia further.

“Priest Donnet-sama said, he had been in contact with the Pope of the Holy Church, that he had obtained permission from one of the Cardinals. He was complaining about getting rid of the person with elf blood he’d been protecting.”

“Priest-sama…”

Rubia looks like she will start crying.

“I was directly asked by the Priest. While he was away at Mount. Forton, take care of Rubia, the fair-haired girl with elven ears. He paid in gold, so I remember it well.”

“Uwuu…”

The shock is too much, she breaks down in tears.

“Do you have something against the Priest? Ma, I didn’t know about it…”

“…I don’t understand. Priest Donnet, I’ve been his maid for more than eight years…”

More than eight years, did something happen in that time?

How old is Rubia…

“For that reason, we came here to capture this woman. -With this, I’ve said everything I know.”

“I see. Understood.”

Well then, time to resume experimentation.

I ready Burdock.

Instead of the sharp end, I point to blue magic dragon stone.

I try using the magic dragon stone.

“Ma, wait a moment…will you help me?”

Arguing about it is no use. …Should I take care of Rubia first?

“Rubia, go somewhere else. You don’t need to see this.”

“Ha, hai.”

She wipes away her tears with a dirty cuff and takes a distance.

“-Then, I told you everything, wait, even if you kill me, someone else will come next.”

I ignore him and pour mana into the magic spear.

As I originally stated- No mercy.

That moment- the magic dragon stone begins to shine, a pillar of ice is forcefully shot.

Zenbia is unable to react.

Or should I say, neither could I.

The icicle extends, piercing through Zenbi’s brows.

His head is torn off and pinned to the church’s wall.

Moreover, the icicle pierces through the wall.

Blood gushes from Zenbi’s severed neck.

The body collapses powerlessly.

“Amazing, it’s an ice magic wand.”

I extended too fast, did I use too much mana?

The shaft of ice is still attached to the magic spear.

When I break it off from the spear it melts away.

Cold air lingers behind.

I was able to experiment a few times.

It seems I can adjust this ice shaft with mana.

I put in too much earlier.

“Hia!”

Rubia falls back with a scream.

I want to experiment with the magic spear more, but I put it away and approach Rubia to wake her up.

“…Are you okay? I scared you.”

“…Sorry.”

Her hands are trembling and she looks at me like I’m a monster.

It’s understandable. Seeing such a cruel act, I understand why she is treating me this way.

However, such a thing doesn’t matter right now.

“Rubia, what will you do now? As of now, it’s only a matter of time before the other people in town find out about this.”

“I, I…”

She falls silent.

Being betrayed by the priest and her fear, she’s confused and can’t settle on anything.

This child is already being chased.

I would like to help…

I think she can escape through the gate.

However, I’ve never taken someone else through the gate.

I don’t know if it’ll work, but I can try.

“Rubia. Would you like to leave here?”

“From here… leave?”

“Yeah. However, it might not work.”

“Leaving… not work?”

“Yeah. Using my magic.”

“…Hai. Please. If I stay here, I’ll certainly become a slave, so I want to leave immediately.

…Her frightened expression is gone, and she is staring at me.

In that case, it’s time to leave.

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