“Are you saying you’re going to abandon the hostages now?!”
Ruby’s anger was completely understandable. After all, it sounded like someone was going to abandon innocent people. Not just anyone, but her own fellow tribesmen. We felt the same way.
In that situation, the only one maintaining calm was the little girl sitting next to the Commander. Did she trust the Commander? Or was she just blindly following him?
“Lady Ruby, let’s listen to the Commander first.”
“But…!!!”
“The teacher must have something in mind.”
If it hadn’t been for Cluna and that little girl’s mediation, Ruby might have grabbed the Commander’s collar. Clara and Yuren felt the same way, not as strongly, but still.
A knight wields a sword and shield.
Their honor lies in protecting people.
Nothing else matters, not even race. Protecting the innocent and powerless is a knight’s pride. But Yuren couldn’t press too hard. Her own predicament held her back.
“Let me explain one by one.”
“…It better be a convincing explanation.”
“First, there’s the mind control ability of Comprachicos. It’s obvious what would happen if we fell under that power.”
Not to mention Clara and Ruby, who had grown fond of each other, even though they were arch-enemies—Elves and Dwarves. Yuren, on the other hand, saw her brainwashed comrades and crumbled, falling victim herself.
Bayard was also traumatized by having fallen under mind control. At this, Ruby fell silent. Although she was a low-ranking member, she was still part of the Royal Knights.
She didn’t fail to understand the weight of Commander Hans. In fact, she understood it painfully. Compared to the Commander, Yuren, and Bayard, they were like chicks in the world.
Yet, would they be able to withstand the mind control that had already taken down Bayard? Even uttering a lie would be impossible. Commander Hans continued coldly.
“Moreover, that guy is obsessed with the stage he created. A typical twisted artist. In other words, the moment we step onto the stage, it’s as good as we’ve lost to him.”
“So, is there a method?”
“There is. We burn the stage to the ground.”
“That’s…!!!”
“Yuren, can you do it?”
“…It’s possible. But if we do that….”
The Commander’s answer was more brutal than any imagination. Yet, no one could refute it. Because they had already failed. Just once.
But that failure dug deep into their hearts, gnawing at them. Can someone like me really do this? Is it okay for someone like me to be this happy?
They would think like this too. Would it even change anything if they opposed it? What if they opposed it and failed? Then it would really be the end.
There was no one among them who could bear that weight, at least not at this moment. One single failure had led to the death of comrades. They still hadn’t forgotten.
“I will signal after saving the villagers. Then, burn the village down.”
“…Wait, what did you just say?”
“Is there a problem?”
“Are you saying you’re going to save everyone?”
Sacrificing the few for the many. Until now, everyone had accepted it that way. But was that actually it? As Yuren’s voice trembled, the Commander tilted his head.
“Isn’t that only natural?”
And he actually proved it. In a short time, maybe around five minutes. A signal came from him. Soon, the giant dragon covered the village sky.
The breath of the dragon falling from the sky incinerated everything it touched. There was no hesitation in those flames. Commander Hans wouldn’t lie, not even a little.
And indeed, he kept his promise. He managed to rescue all the villagers. Clara and Ruby took charge of escorting the villagers. It was probably the Commander’s way of considering them.
[I’ll take care of Comprachicos myself.]
[But, Commander, isn’t that too dangerous?]
[No problem. Mind control doesn’t work on me.]
“……What a truly strong male.”
Yuren, who had been spewing the dragon’s breath from the sky, landed back on the ground. Yes, he was a man worthy of the Commander’s name. And when he choked someone with those strong hands, it really…….
……What was I just thinking?
Yuren desperately denied that thought.
However, she couldn’t deny the flush rising on her face.
*
Comprachicos.
According to Yuren, it means “one who buys and sells children” in an ancient language. In fact, the name Comprachicos appears in a novel about a criminal organization called “The Laughing Man.”
Whether such an organization existed or not is unknown. Still, this game borrows many motifs from countless masterpieces, so the appearance of something like that isn’t surprising.
Boom!! The enraged Comprachicos quickly closed the distance and swung a punch. It was favorable when the opponent lost their composure, making their movements easy to read.
But the problem was still my skill level.
Having only an average level of skill, on top of losing one eye, the sense of distance and even the blind spots were increasing, making it hard to react.
With the scraping sound of the ground, my body was pushed back. To Yuren, Comprachicos seemed to be closer to a blood demon in danger than just a low-level threat, but his combat ability was weak.
In other words, Comprachicos’s direct combat capabilities barely grazed the level of a demon. However, I was getting pushed back even by such Comprachicos.
It was only natural.
Even low-level monsters are like calamities.
So, facing a demon that ranks higher is a challenge.
However, I wasn’t about to settle for being held back, even if it was natural. If I’m a Commander, I should do work befitting that title, right? I stood up with creaking joints.
Like a broken puppet, my body was stiff and didn’t move properly. After just a few exchanges, I had already hit my limit. But I wouldn’t give up. That guy was mine to catch.
Mind control. What an annoying ability. It’s a truly horrific power, on par with time stop. I can’t forgive it, not one bit. I gritted my teeth and said.
“Did you have fun?”
“What?”
“I mean, controlling people as you please. Leading them to despair, and cackling about it being a tragedy. Was that really fun?”
“……If you can’t escape, then enjoy it. That’s the life philosophy I’ve realized?”
“What a pile of nonsense.”
I let out a small burst of anger and dashed forward again. Comprachicos rushed towards me in answer. He was holding a flute in his hand. That must be the medium for his ability.
In fact, Yuren also said she heard the sound of a flute. I too could hear it while in the village. So, hearing that flute means you fall under mind control. That much is safe to say.
However, it didn’t seem like an ordinary flute. The proof was that it easily deflected my sword, imbued with the blessings of the forest, with no trouble at all. Those grotesque things had been easily decapitated before.
“……There’s no helping it.”
This was the limit of my current skill level. I could manage somewhat without time stop, but that was only because the opponent wasn’t skilled in direct combat among the demons.
I was in a state of being overpowered in a direct confrontation. And having to save the villagers meant I couldn’t use time stop. No choice then, if I had decided to do it, I needed to do it right.
Since when was it? Perhaps it was from the time I sacrificed an eye to rescue Yuren. Since that moment of giving up my eye, I’ve learned how to use this power.
I raised my head. Every particle of ash floating in the sky was visible to me. Beneath it, Comprachicos was still running towards me with fervor.
Much slower than I expected, so I decided to meet him halfway. I ran forward, swinging my sword, and severed Comprachicos’s arm. Unlike before, the demon’s arm fell away as easily as cutting through tofu.
I could see the expression of horror wash over Comprachicos’s face. It was a sight that looked quite good, but I had no interest in savoring that grim pleasure. In an instant, I cut off another of his limbs.
And…
Time returned to normal.
In an instant, the dismembered body of Comprachicos fell to the ground. I felt a surge of something bitter rising inside me, but I swallowed it back as hard as I could.
I can’t show weakness to the enemy.
Comprachicos still didn’t realize what had just happened to him. Well, that was to be expected; this power could influence the opponent no matter how weak my skills were.
[I’ll let this one slide as a freebie, but next time, I’ll charge the cost.]
[I’ll take my toll right back.]
[For the price… How about ripping open some guts?]
That day, to rescue Yuren.
The power I gained at the cost of my eye.
Time Acceleration.
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