Lydia will figure something out, right?
With that optimistic thought, we arrived at the scene, only to be greeted with an unexpected sight.
The first thing I noticed was two Elf Women, completely naked and bound, rolling on the ground.
“Gale! That bastard tricked us…!”
“I trusted him! This is too much!”
In front of them was a guy with an annoying expression by my standards, swinging a sword with a weird look in his eyes.
“Whoa, whoa. A woman who thinks with her breasts rather than her brain is so simple~ Oh, does being an elf mean you have small breasts too?”
And finally, a group of five women were watching this whole spectacle and giggling from a little distance away.
“Kill them! Kill them!”
“No, killing them would be a waste.”
“What? You crazy bitch….”
“They came to try to score with Gale, so we gotta at least see their lower halves before we kill them!”
“A genius! Alright! Strip for Gale!”
What a festive atmosphere. It’s clear that everyone treats this as some kind of entertaining event.
Anyway, piecing together the overall context and overheard dialogue, I could imagine the situation quite well.
Isn’t this the kind of plot where a guy cozies up to an elf party, only to turn out to be a raider’s informant?
Oh man. Is that the definition of a snake in the grass? Someone like me would only aim for their property and body, not their lives.
Shaking my head for a moment, I suddenly felt a strange familiarity looking at the two naked elves rolling around.
Normally, my gaze would drift to inappropriate places, but for some reason, I couldn’t take my eyes off their faces.
I know them. Where have I seen them before…?
“…Huh?”
I remembered.
They were the thug elves who ripped me off for 8 copper coins!
I met them by chance yesterday, vowing revenge tenfold but ended up buying dinner for Lydia, which left me in debt!
In just that day, I was forced to shell out a total of 2 gold, 38 silver, and 76 copper for that date! Lydia generously haggled it down to 2 gold, 30 silver, but that’s still enough for me to hit the gacha 230 times!
Of course, Lydia didn’t pressure me to pay it back immediately, nor did she exploit me for it like, “If you’re broke, repay me with something else.” She probably just needed a reason to keep me around longer.
I recall her mentioning how much help she got from Ellie back when she was a novice. Maybe she’s trying to repay that favor through me.
Well, that’s that, but the fact that they are the reason my debt is growing is a whole other issue.
The blood of revenge runs through me (or maybe it doesn’t), whispering that I need to collect tenfold on this grudge…!
Honestly, I’d rather let them die, but… I don’t think Lydia would allow that.
If I have to save them, I need to get something out of it!
But right now, the one with money still owed to me is about to be killed by someone else!
As that thought crossed my mind, something began to bubble up from the depths of my stomach. It was becoming intolerable.
So, I decided to not hold back.
“Let’s go!!!!”
“Yonah?!”
Lydia, who was hiding to assess the situation, gasped and tried to stop me, but… it was already too late.
I had already kicked off the ground and bolted out.
“Who is it!”
Not to be a raider for nothing, the moment my voice rang out, Gale’s expression shifted from amusement to serious vigilance.
His face visibly relaxed when he spotted me.
“What? A little kid can come into the labyrinth too? Pretty cute, I could fetch a good price if I sold… ah?”
Of course, as he noticed the dagger in my hand, he immediately pointed his sword at me.
This guy Gale… He looks all flashy with heavy makeup, acting coy like an annoying guy, but he seems pretty skilled with that sword. Even with a hasty grab, he maintains a stable stance.
But if I can’t find an opening, I’ll just create one.
“Dare to take my 23 gold…!!”
“What the hell are you talking about?!”
Gale looked baffled. Naturally, I meant what I said. He appeared slightly distracted, so I aimed and fired my crossbow at his wrist.
Thwack!
“Ha! What a silly move.”
Sneering, Gale deflected the arrow with his sword. I expected that. Being in this area means he’s confident enough to take on common monsters like the Horned Rabbit. He’d easily bat away an arrow like that.
However, that process would cost him a motion. That’s all I needed.
I bent low, lowering my center of gravity as my body tilted naturally. Just before I teetered over completely, I sprang up, fully extending my body.
Like a spring set free, the tension in my small body shot me forward with explosive energy.
Thump!
“What?!”
Startled, Gale swung his sword at me awkwardly. It wasn’t a powerful swing, and dodging the unsteady blade was not difficult at all.
Just by slightly bending my waist at the right moment, I evaded the blade that was destined to miss.
I closed in, driving my knee into his groin.
Thud!
“What?!”
It got caught on something hard, so I couldn’t break it properly, but…
“Are you wearing a chastity belt?!”
“It’s called a cup, you dumb kid!”
Gale’s overly made-up face twisted in anger as he brought the pommel down towards my head. Apparently, he didn’t learn from the speed I just demonstrated.
As he swung blindly, I dodged to the side and aimed my dagger at his exposed wrist.
Leather gloves protect his fingers, but they don’t wrap his wrist. Maybe he should’ve used something better.
Swoosh!
“Ahhh!”
Blood gushed from Gale’s wrist as he cut his tendon and had no choice but to drop his sword, though he still clutched his other hand tightly.
Perhaps that’s why. With a menacing glare, Gale swung with his one hand.
“Die…!”
“Hmm.”
I didn’t think he would go down easily. It’s only natural for him to fight back with his life on the line. I needed to incapacitate him more thoroughly.
Taking a deep breath, I planted my foot on Gale’s thigh and jumped high into the air. Then, twisting my waist, I flipped mid-air.
Whoosh—
The sword barely missed where my body had been. This time, my dagger aimed for his other wrist.
Upside down in the air made the angle slightly off, but that’s okay, since the wrist wasn’t my true target.
“Do you think the same trick will work on me twice?”
Gale scoffed and twisted his wrist to dodge my dagger. I mocked him, extending my empty hand.
“Oh, it will. Except, it’s a different trick.”
The empty hand clearly aimed for the sword Gale had been holding. With one hand gripping it, it was practically a weak hold with his wrist all twisted at an awkward angle.
I darted forward to swiftly swipe the sword.
“Huh…?”
Gale let out a stupid sound as he lost his sword. I curled up before flipping again.
Naturally, my head came up as the sword raised higher, crashing down toward Gale’s exposed wrist.
Crunch.
“Gaaah!”
Having his own sword cut off his wrist, Gale went into a panic, leaving him frozen. Meanwhile, I crouched low from my landing position, spinning in place.
Slash!
“—Aaaah!”
Before his scream even ended, Gale collapsed, having his ankle sliced.
Though his tendon wasn’t severed or completely cut off, it was deep enough. Unless someone heals him, he wouldn’t be able to walk.
“Ah… I have to run away…!”
Of course, Gale was still unaware that his status had shifted to a quadriplegic.
All he could do now was flail around helplessly, but even in his struggle, he managed to crawl away from me, just like the two Elf Women he had caught.
I simply watched Gale squirm before picking up the sword he still clutched in one hand.
Wow, real swordsmanship is a bit heavy. I barely held myself upright as I slammed it down onto Gale’s leg.
“Ugh.”
Thwack!
“Gaaahhh!”
As the sword pierced his calf like an insect specimen, Gale could do nothing but gasp in agony.
“P-Please! Save me! I’m sorry! Anything! Just spare my life….”
“Who said I was going to kill you? And I just met you today, what exactly did you do to me? I can’t believe this.”
Shaking my head, Gale paused with a shocked expression. His heavy makeup ran down with tears and snot, making for a pretty ugly sight.
But as he realized I wasn’t going to slice his head off just yet, he rolled his eyes and asked,
“Then… are you going to let me go?”
“A guy like you crying like that. Just stop before I actually decide to kill you. Stop it!”
“Wahh….”
His response was so unmanly that I snapped back at him, which only made him sob even louder.
If you’re a man, you’d better at least try to keep some dignity even if you’re in a terrible predicament.
…To be honest, if I were in his shoes, I’d be wailing like a baby as well.
I clicked my tongue and glanced back. There were five women, possibly the main force of the raider party, far stronger than Gale.
It wasn’t any different from this side. Lydia was elegantly carving up the raiders’ heads with a translucent sword.
Goodness. Another sword, isn’t it? It even looks expensive. How serious is she about her equipment?
Waving over to signal that we were alright, Lydia sighed deeply and waved back.
Alright, I can consider the situation under control.
I nudged Gale’s side with my foot as he continued to whimper.
“Since the other side has been dealt with, you know what you need to do, right?”
“Yes…?”
“First, cough up any hidden treasure you have. Then tell me everything that happened, details about other accomplices, or any plans you have. Then I’ll take you to the guild.”
Typically, raiders would be executed on the spot, but… if I save them, it opens up other choices.
Because monsters can turn raiders into slaves if they hand them over to the guild.
In this case, it’s not your ordinary slave; it’s a criminal slave, so it will be impossible to pay off their worth and gain their freedom.
They would live as slaves for life, but… hey, at least they can live, right?
“Yes, yes! I’ll tell you everything! I’ll share everything, just… please….”
“Good thinking. Now, for the details, talk to that scary-looking red-haired lady approaching over there. …Oh, and just to inform you, if you try to pull anything on those elves like you did, then you’re dead at my hands.”
“……!”
Gale nodded vigorously. I hope he’s gotten the message.
Having tossed Gale to Lydia, I crouched down before the trembling two Elf Women for some reason.
With their blonde hair and green eyes, they were typical Elf beauties; even the features they shared hinted they might be related.
The only difference was the length of their hair—one long, one short.
Getting a closer look reminded me of the time they took my 8 copper.
Fired up, I playfully smacked their vulnerable chests, grinning as I asked,
“Long time no see, pretty ladies. Where did you spend my 8 copper?”
“Uh…?”
“That time with….”
Fortunately, it seemed they still remembered me. They started to tremble.
I gave them a big smile.
Their pale elf skin drained of color entirely.
