Chapter 177

Chapter 177

***

There was no need to purposefully ask someone whether spring had come. Seeing sprouts come up, flower buds form on trees, and flowers that bloomed in time sway softly in the wind, that was.

Frogs waking up from hibernation swam around in small brooks exactly as if it was their world, and also sat on leaves and rested for a moment. A small yellow butterfly fluttered peacefully and flew around.

In the midst of the chirping sound of grass bugs crying squelch squelch, the sound of a water mill turning creak, creak from a nearby village was heard.

However even though the sun hung in the middle of the sky familiar life noises weren't heard. Even if quiet it was too quiet.

Trampled vegetable gardens, empty barns, cluttered farming tools, and people strewn about quietly here and there like they were sleeping. Blood slowly spreading from them.

"Hey, lend me your sword for a bit."

In the village quiet like death, someone's speaking voice was heard from a certain house with its door half-broken.

"Why?"

"What do you mean why. Mine is new right."

"What does that matter?"

"No then fuck, you're telling me to use something I haven't even initiated here?"

"If you save it it becomes poop, man. Just use it."

"Ah, just lend it to me for a bit."

"Sigh."

A moment later, whether someone lent a sword to his companion a sound like slicing meat was heard. The sound was truly eerie to the point it was scary to peer into what was happening inside the house.

Presently, two people came out from inside the house. One adjusted his trousers, and the other wiped his hands on a cloth swish swish.

The two people were of an age looking about their 20s or 30s, and their appearance was cleaner than expected.

Leather vests had a little signs of use but weren't worn out that much, and there were no traces of blood splattered on their clothes either. Only, blood was smeared on their hands.

Whether to call it one strange point, the shocking part was that the two people weren't excited, nor were they struggling, they just looked bored.

Was it because they had done it overwhelmingly many times, too many times that now their mental state was one where they couldn't be satisfied with ordinary crimes.

They merely handled all these matters just business-likely as if it was nothing. Even fulfilling their own desires.

The man who was wiping his hands threw the cloth on the ground and said. The cloth was full of bloodstains, and blood marks that weren't completely wiped off were mottled on his hands too.

"Did the other people leave already?"

"We are the latest."

"There is no late. Because we'll just be fucking waiting again anyway."

"That is true. Even doing this is boring now. Isn't there anything fun?"

"That's because we're in a position of listening to orders. Because we feel pressure for no reason we can't fully enjoy it."

"So, you're saying let's leave the Clan? Then we're criminals."

"Whether it's a crime or not what does that matter? The nobles are busy warring. By the way what was decided to be done about the Viola Clan?"

"The person named Metzger, they said he died. He went as an envoy."

"Oh, as expected. They have guts too, yeah. It has to be like that to be fun. Honestly shouldn't there be a bit of a taste of rebelling?"

"Yeah. In the past when senior adventurers said there must be a taste of rebelling I didn't understand, but these days I feel like those words are a bit right."

Looking at their way of speaking or tone they seemed to be doing trivial chatting.

Doing so the two walked footstep and moved away from that house. Following the direction their comrades would have gone, they slowly moved their steps.

Because it was an isolated village the road wasn't sorted out that well. It was just a narrow and rough country road. Looking only at the surrounding scenery they seemed like two men leisurely enjoying spring.

But right after leaving the village, three men wearing swords at their waists walked facing them from the opposite side of the road. It was a somewhat bizarre party.

One had a good physique and was tall, and another one was on the short and dwarf-like side. The last one was even a boy. He was carrying an ax on his back.

The two criminals from adventurer backgrounds at first thought they were their comrades. Because the One-Eyed Clan weren't in a relationship where everyone knew each other. Because they were people randomly scraped together from here and there.

The closer the two men got to the three people walking from the opposite side, they received a strangely heterogeneous feeling.

People living different livelihoods like farmers, woodcutters, sailors, etc. have a unique atmosphere, but the ones walking facing them gave off an atmosphere different from themselves.

Even though they were fellow swordsmen, they didn't have the loosened, bleary eyes unique to criminals. The three people had quite clear and distinct gazes. Their gazes were heading toward the two people exactly as if piercing in a straight line.

Facing each other on a single path they didn't avoid each other's gazes. It was different from the provocative staring contests of ordinary thugs. They weren't noticeably wary like people facing a duel either.

Even while doing so their walking speed was constant, and they gradually got closer to each other. It was a bright and sunny spring day.

Then the ones who stopped their steps first were the two criminals. One person extended his hand exactly as if saying don't approach anymore and said.

"Stop."

Thereupon more obediently than expected, the three people walking facing them also stopped their steps.

"I'm seeing you for the first time. Who are you?"

The one who bought a new sword and hadn't used it even once yet asked first.

Thereupon the man with a sturdy physique answered. He was wearing a red cloak. It was Rickart.

"I'm seeing you guys for the first time too."

"So who are you I'm asking."

"Who are you guys."

"Hmm, yeah...... Don't misunderstand. I don't mean let's have a bout. We will yield the road first, so you guys just pass by. How about it? We don't have such a hobby of clashing swords uselessly. Because we aren't just ordinary thugs."

The two criminals didn't want to purposefully cause conflict with armed people. Especially more so for opponents who had momentum or weren't easy to deal with.

Rickart, Bori, and Roy hadn't exactly emitted killing intent, but because they looked straight calmly without avoiding gazes the two criminals felt something from that.

The two criminals stepped off the road and fell back to a safe distance in their own way. However Rickart's business wasn't over.

Rickart examined the village not far away. A silence tinged with a sense of incongruity was wrapping the village. Actually just with that he roughly guessed. No, he was almost certain.

So he looked at the two people who stepped aside from the road and said.

"You didn't answer my question."

"What did you say?"

"Who are you guys I'm asking."

"Is that important?"

"There's no reason you can't proudly reveal it right. Could you perhaps belong to the One-Eyed Clan?"

When he mentioned the One-Eyed Clan, the two people's gazes also changed. Even though they yielded this much, moreover they felt a strange hostility from him asking their affiliation.

"If so what are you going to do about it?"

"Because I have something to ask."

"Do you want to join, or?"

"Your Clan Master's location."

"......"

The wind blew. Fresh spring sunlight shone down, and the flowers in the field gently shook their bodies rustling. From now on words weren't needed anymore.

"Initiation, I guess I'll have to do it now."

One of the two criminals said. Thereupon the person who asked to borrow the sword earlier wordlessly drew his sword. Whether because it was definitely a new sword, the blade's luster gleamed and it flashed reflecting the sunlight.

He delivered a final warning.

"We are indeed the One-Eyed Clan. Don't do something you'll regret."

"It seems you guys are the ones who did something to regret first."

Rickart stepped forward. When walking on the road there was a footstep footprint sound, but stepping off the road and walking on the grass it changed to a crunch crunch sound.

Doing so he drew his sword, and Rickart's sword too flashed with sword light like a new one. Though the guard and hilt had somewhat signs of use.

Without any hesitation, without caution Rickart walked toward the two people, and Bori and Roy only watched from behind.

That was utterly strange, but one of the two criminals abruptly took out exactly a throwing dagger and threw it.

It flew at a very fast and fatal speed but Rickart merely slightly twisted his body and dodged it. However at the same time, the one holding the new sword rushed in like an arrow.

He closed the distance in two large steps, and sprinkling sword light the new sword stretched out diagonally toward Rickart.

But at that moment, Rickart wasn't seen from his eyes. Whether he disappeared while being in front of his eyes or disappeared before that, the criminal was confused for a split second. Immediately his heel burned hotly and unconsciously he collapsed flop onto the grass.

"Aaargh!"

As pain rushed in he screamed. He quickly tried to get up and take a stance, but he couldn't step his foot on the ground and stand. Because his tendon was already cut. How on earth? In what gap? For a very brief moment such a question arose.

However it wasn't a time to resolve questions. Frightened he turned his head. But his comrade was already standing with his head missing.

Rickart was merely standing somewhat far away next to him, holding his sword. The criminal's eyes widened completely. Rather than fear flabbergasted and absurd emotions came first.

The comrade collapsed spewing blood splash from the cut surface. Rickart calmly put his sword back into its scabbard, turned his head to look at the collapsed person, then said to Bori and Roy.

"Guard this guy. I'll take a quick look around and come back. You can't kill him."

"Yeah."

"Yes."

Rickart walked to the village not far away. Without even needing to search purposefully, even scanning roughly what had happened was all seen.

But a pooling bloody smell drifted from somewhere. Rickart's footsteps naturally headed toward the source of the smell.

The source of the smell was a small house. Reaching the house Rickart looked inside, then stood there as he was for a moment. There was absolutely no sign of being surprised or flustered. He merely turned his head and shouted to Roy.

"Roy! Come here for a bit!"

Since his Master and King said to come Roy ran and dashed over. When Roy came Rickart pointed inside the house with his chin and said.

"Look at this."

Roy looked inside the house exactly as Rickart said, then his eyes widened completely and he froze as he was. Because a terrible sight unutterable to describe spread before his eyes.

Human form was already gone. It was hard to even distinguish whether it was a man or a woman. It was merely bones and flesh pieces, blood, internal organs scattered messily. It seemed to have some regularity yet didn't. What could be vaguely known was the point that the victim didn't seem to be one person.

What on earth did they did? It seemed like butchering, and also seemed like traces of torture. However it wasn't both. This was traces of desire.

"What thoughts occur seeing it? Are you scared? Or angry? If not that are you disgusted?"

Rickart asked. However Roy couldn't answer right away. Because stepping out his mind for a moment due to too great a shock.

Although Roy was still young age-wise he grew up roughly in his own way and saw all sorts of sights, this was truly a first. War crimes were the most terrible among all crimes.

As Rickart nudged him thud, Roy only then abruptly came to his senses and barely answered.

"I, I don't know."

"Receiving shock is not something to be ashamed of. Rather remember that feeling well. If you forget that you become like those guys over there."

Rickart pointed at the guy whose heel tendon was cut so he couldn't even run away and was sitting on the ground receiving Bori's surveillance and said.

His sword ultimately couldn't even be initiated and was spinning round and round grasped in Bori's hand exactly like a toy.

It was too extreme. The two scenes. One side was a place full of spring energy, and one side was exactly like a cross-section of hell.

"Are they demons?"

Roy asked. Rickart's answer was realistic beyond the point of being cruel.

"No. They are humans."

"Humans the same as me?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"It can't be helped that you find it disgusting, but driving guys like that as demons is evading it, Roy. If you drive them as demons and treat them as demons without even knowing it you gradually become a demon too. Just see them as they are."

"As they are? What is that?"

"Over there, that weak human. Project yourself onto that weakness. Am I really different, even if not now someday when facing a moment of corruption can I stand firmly, asking yourself like that. It's an darkness too deep to face right now but that's inside you too. Inside me too. It doesn't disappear. You have to be wary of it until you die. Don't waiver, but you mustn't deny it. The more you try to deny it the more easily that darkness swallows you."

"Has the King asked such questions to yourself?"

"No. I already experienced it."

"......"

Rickart walked back to the surviving criminal. He panted and rolled his frightened eyeballs here and there. Rickart and Bori merely looked blankly without pity, sympathy, or hostility.

"Where is your Clan Master?"

"......M, my life only, my life only."

"Bori, give me the sword."

Bori precisely as a joke spun the enemy's sword round and round in his hand, then threw it swoosh. Rickart lightly caught it tap, then said.

"I came back after seeing what you did. Considering the degree the blood hardened and the time you left it can be known quickly. Where is the Clan Master?"

"......Th, that I don't know either. There's only a standby location. Va, Weisfeld, it's Weisfeld. I'll answer all questions. S, so, so......"

The criminal trembled rattle rattle and continuously looked alternately at Rickart, Bori, and Roy.

In his eyes the boy seemed somewhat stiff, but Rickart and Bori were merely creepily indifferent without even sneering asking how humans could did that or getting angry.

The criminal felt something from that indifference. That they weren't his kind of group, but somewhere the grain was similar. That grain meant resistance to cruelty.

So determining himself in his own way, swallowing spit gulp he made his final decision.

"......So please kill me as cleanly as possible, without pain."

At the unknown criminal's words, expressions finally appeared on Rickart's face. His mouth corners went up grin and hehehe, he laughed. Bori was the same. What was so funny?

The criminal's eyes which were already full of fear grew even larger. Why, why were they laughing?

At that moment, front of his eyes flashed. And immediately pitch-black darkness visited.

"Aaargh!"

As Rickart swung the sword like lightning, the tip of the blade accurately sliced past both eyeballs and between the eyebrows.

"He's a funny guy, this one. Who said they'd kill you? Don't misunderstand. We aren't apostles of justice and we aren't getting revenge for the village people either. We merely need information, and we will get it from you. Every time your answer is unsatisfactory I'll present you a novel pain."

The criminal trembled his jaw rattle rattle. From his blinded eyes tears mixed with blood flowed down streaming.

Caught by the wrong people. The criminal thought like that. He knew he might be punished someday, and occasionally thought he would fall to hell after dying, but an ending exactly like this was something he couldn't even imagine.

The sunlight was clear and the spring wind was cool. Grass bugs cried squelch squelch, and the water mill turned creak creak. Butterflies fluttered and flew among the flowers, and on the grass torture was taking place.

There was no justice. Just execution according to the resolution of the Council of Six.