Volume 5 Chapter 34 There's Still Someone Around, But...
Bael also notices Reed, who suddenly appeared, but by that time, Reed had already landed right in front of Narinki.
'That guy, aiming for the big prize, huh!?'
Without getting involved in the conflict, he had been hiding his presence until now. The plan was to attract the attention of the troublesome opponent (Bael) to me, and in that opening, aim for Narinki. The plan worked perfectly, and between the defenseless Narinki and Reed, there were only a few remaining delinquents. Moreover, both Narinki and the delinquents are completely unprepared and shocked by the sudden appearance of the guy who showed up almost out of nowhere.
"Troublesome──"
"Oops, sorry, but Bael will play with me here!"
As Bael tries to turn towards Narinki, I strike with my spear. Of course, it is evaded, but the purpose is to once again draw Bael's attention towards me.
It's a bit annoying to join in Reed's drawings, but as long as this conflict ends quickly, I don't care who takes down Narinki. If that pig Narinki gets what he deserves, it will only slightly ease my personal frustration.
'Partner is really rational when it doesn't involve family.'
Honestly, I don't have confidence in winning one-on-one against Bael at the moment, but I should be able to manage with my skills until Reed subdues Narinki.
──Clank!
'Dodge it, partner!'
"Wha─!?"
Just as a metallic sound rang out, Gram's voice followed immediately. Reflexively, I averted my gaze from Bael towards the direction of the sound—only to see Reed's back looming in front of me. There was no time to dodge, no room for surprise, just a crash. I was spectacularly knocked down in the chaos caused by Reed.
When the two of us collided and tumbled together, it became a mess, making it hard to distinguish up from down.
──Squish...
"Whoa!?"
Just as I recognized that my body had stopped, I tried to push myself up by placing my hands on the ground. But before my hands could touch the hard ground, they landed on something incredibly soft.
Feeling a somewhat "familiar" sensation, I unconsciously moved my hands.
"Back off already!"
"Ouch!?"
A sudden impact and pain struck my cheek, sending me flying once again. As I held the painful area and turned my head, Reed, who had raised his upper body, was glaring at me with his fangs bared.
"You're quite bold for someone who used others as bait and dragged them into this mess... Ouch..."
"You're just weak if you can't dodge something like that!"
"What did you say!?"
We exchanged angry words in a heated argument, but our attention shifted to the sound of footsteps on the ground.
"Excellent work, Bael. Putting in effort against such a brat is quite something."
"Be on guard, Weiss. Don't forget that there are those who have been caught off guard."
From the direction Reed flew in—meaning in front of Narinki—stood a figure exuding a presence equal to that of Baal, next to Baal.
Compared to the slender Baal, this one was rough in appearance but dressed stylishly, giving off a muscular and wild impression. It was undoubtedly that person who sent Reed flying towards me.
"Where were you hiding..."
"Hiding by Narinki using magic. Acting all sneaky."
Reed gnashed his teeth in frustration. Just when the plan to use me as bait was about to succeed, it was thwarted at the last moment. I can understand his feelings, but since he used me as bait, I wished he had handled it more decisively.
Then, I suddenly noticed the weapon Reed was holding.
In simple terms, it's like a sword with a damaged blade. There are 'chips' all over the edges, making it seem mismatched for a skilled mercenary to wield. However, there's a strange sensation that wells up when I look at it.
'It was that guy who concealed Baer's presence. Despite appearances, he might be quite skilled in magic.'
Ignoring Gram's voice, Narinki's guard Reed turns his gaze back to the front.
"Hey Reed. I heard even you, ranked 2nd, are having trouble with those guys."
"Yeah. They're Narinki's bodyguards. In the end, they're just hired for money. How the hell did that pig manage to bring in such dangerous people?"
Reed's arrogant attitude makes it clear why such individuals are considered 'dangerous,' indicating just how much of a threat those two (Bael and Weiss) are. They're not opponents you can handle with just momentum and brute force as usual. Perhaps it was a mistake to assign Mikage to guard Nikyou.
As tension rose in my chest, Bael spoke up.
"I'm backing off, Weiss."
"Huh? Bael, are you really getting scared by these two kids? Even for a cautious person, you're being too much of a scaredy-cat."
"I thought I left the Jingin Family's boss to someone like you?"
Bael's words made my throat tighten. Could it be that these guys were thinking the same thing as me?
"...Tch. I tried to crush him at the right moment, but that silver-haired fox woman had tightly surrounded the area. If I get too close, she'll notice and it'll just make things more complicated."
"So, while I was sitting on my hands, Narinki got targeted. The fox woman is a subordinate of Black Blade over there. We predicted 'Trampling' would show up, but for 'Black Blade' to be involved was unexpected. Going any further would be fatal."
Seemingly having no intention to fight here anymore, Bael turned on his heel.
"Bael, you! What are you doing on your own──"
"There are already many leaning towards Jingin (over there). The conflict here is Kahlua's (over here) loss. It's hard to believe, our employer shouldn't have been so dull."
Although Narinki showed frustration at Bael's selfish actions as a guard, he seemed to understand his point. Suppressing his irritation deep in his fat belly, he snorted, "Hmph."
"Fine. It's true that I lost this fight. But, at least leave a parting gift."
Quickly raising his hand to signal those around him, Narinki turned his back on us. He probably intends to leave like this.
"Do you think you can escape, you pig bastard!!"
As Reed barked and started to run, coincidentally at the same time, I also poised to throw my spear. It would surely kill if it hit directly, but if I hit the ground to stop his feet, it should work.
"Weiss."
"...I know, you bastard."
As his partner moved, Weiss snapped his fingers while exhaling sharply. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind hit them, causing Reed and me to lose our balance. We struggled to stay on our feet, and watching us almost fall seemed amusing to Bael, who smirked and put his hand in his pocket.
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