Volume 2 Chapter 27 The Closed Exit
Ms. Kikrys was frozen, mouth agape, at the sight of me suddenly appearing.
Her clothes were covered in mud, and her face and body were all scratched up.
Feeling sorry for being late, she finally managed to speak.
"Wh- how did you get here...? It looked like Sir Roezé just appeared outta nowhere...?"
I lowered my voice to explain simply, so the enemies outside wouldn't notice.
"It's a support magic called 'Hide.' It lets you blend in, and as long as you don't make any sudden moves, you can act without being seen at all."
"S-so that's why you suddenly appeared in front of me..."
Ms. Kikrys nodded as if she understood.
Thanks to this magic, I was able to reach this lowest room without being noticed by the enemies outside.
The green-haired guy lying here was also focused on Ms. Kikrys, which allowed me to sneak into the small room.
However, there were way more soldiers hiding than I expected, so it took a considerable amount of time to get here.
This underground ruin was also far from the royal capital, and on top of that, it was hard to find.
Even though I had heard most of the location details from Ms. Kikrys, it was still a real struggle to track it down.
"I'm really sorry for being so late. If I had been quicker, this wouldn't have happened..."
"N-no, I'm just really grateful that you came at all."
I cut the ropes that were binding Ms. Kikrys's hands and feet and helped her stand up.
Then she looked at the guy lying nearby and asked worriedly.
"H-he's alive, right? Is it 'poison' or something?"
"Yeah. As an adventurer, I've had to fight against criminal groups a lot, so I used a method I learned back then."
I pointed to the knife in my right hand.
"This knife is coated with the saliva of a monster called 'Pestiga.' It acts as a fast-acting neurotoxin that can put people to sleep depending on the dosage. It can also cause breathing difficulties or hallucinations in some cases, but it seems like he's gonna be okay."
Based on the skill Divine Eye, it seems this guy's "Resilience" stat isn't that high.
Folks like him have weak resistance to poison and curses, so using toxins to incapacitate him is pretty effective.
I had to check in all dangerous items when entering the castle, but I'm glad I got them back when leaving.
"I don't think he'll be getting up for a while. Let's sneak out while we can. I'll use 'Hide' on Ms. Kikrys, and I'll carry you as we move."
"Y-yeah. Thank you so much."
I cast Hide on Ms. Kikrys and carry her on my back.
Then, I quietly open the door and leave the small room where the green-haired guy is sleeping.
We're currently on the third level, which is the lowest floor.
Surrounding us are the criminal group that had been holding Ms. Kikrys captive.
It's gonna take a while to get to the surface, but sneaking out quietly is the safest bet.
I'm really eager to hurry since the inheritance battle is coming up, but I hold back and take my time walking.
With cold sweat trickling down, I carefully move my feet and quietly slip past the enemies.
After repeating this a few times, somehow, Ms. Kikrys and I make it to an open space on the second level.
...Just a little more.
As if to precisely catch that moment of relaxation──.
"──!?"
I suddenly feel a sharp killing intent from behind.
Without caring that Hide is about to wear off, I instinctively jump back.
In that instant, a massive greatsword comes crashing down where I was standing.
Just barely avoiding a direct hit, Ms. Kikrys and I look over, sweating bullets.
The one swinging the greatsword with pinpoint accuracy is the male soldier I just passed by a moment ago.
How does he know where we are? It shouldn't even be possible for him to sense our presence...
"What are you so surprised about?"
"...!?"
At the way he spoke, both Ms. Kikrys and I gasp.
The man who swung the sword slowly raises his face, directing a creepy smile at us.
Feeling the ominous nature of that grin and his unique aura, I return his sharp gaze.
"You're the 'green-haired guy' from earlier, huh?"
"Oh? What makes you think that?"
"'Soul Manipulator.' A job class that can possess specific individuals and mix the souls of monsters with your own to mimic their abilities, right? You activated your ability just before losing consciousness."
"...It seems you can see quite a bit, after all."
The male soldier deepens his smile and lets out a chuckle.
The soldier in front of me is the green-haired guy I just took down.
To be precise, the soul of that guy is currently inside this soldier.
That green-haired guy's job class is 'Soul Manipulator,' which allows him to possess someone who meets certain conditions.
Also, it seems he can store the souls of defeated monsters in his body and, just once, mix them with his own soul to mimic their abilities.
Apparently, he possessed one of his allies just before losing consciousness from my poison.
I had a bad feeling when I saw his job class, but he's quite the skilled one.
Plus, being able to make that decision on the spot in that situation is commendable.
"You should've killed me without holding back. If you had, you wouldn't have been found like this."
"Unfortunately, I've never killed anyone before... By the way, how did you know where we were?"
"It's simple. To exit the underground ruins, you have to go through this passage. So, I possessed this soldier and waited for you, relying on my 'nose.' You've soaked up plenty of my perfume while pinning me down, you know."
"...Thanks for the detailed explanation."
I definitely thought something smelled off earlier.
I never expected that guy's perfume would have transferred over.
Maybe he's explaining it out of confidence from his spirited nature.
"I never thought someone could come all the way to the room without being noticed by one of the soldiers. Your skill in taking me down was impressive. However, it seems this battle will be won by us."
At his signal, a large number of soldiers rushed in from the entrances on either side of the plaza.
It seems he had already summoned his allies.
Surrounded by enemies, I brace myself with Ms. Kikrys on my back and a knife in hand.
"Mr. Bardan, is this the intruder?"
"Yeah, capture the old hag as a hostage. I don't care about the man's life."
Right after that, one soldier lunges at me.
I deflect his strike with my knife while being mindful of Ms. Kikrys on my back.
But then, another guy comes at me with a spear, and I hurriedly jump to the side.
"[Accel]!"
I boost my agility with support magic, but the tip of the spear barely grazes my clothes.
"Ugh...!"
"How long do you think you can fight while protecting her?!"
The man called Bardan laughs loudly from behind the soldiers, enjoying my struggle.
I want to find a way out somehow.
But there are dozens of soldiers surrounding me, weapons drawn.
The exits of the square have long been blocked.
I can't afford to be stuck here.
"[Boost]! [Resist]!"
At this point, I'll take them down one by one and steadily reduce their numbers.
That's the only way to break through.
I cast as much support magic on myself as I can and swing my knife at the enemies charging at me.
* * *
There are ten minutes left until the start of the inheritance battle.
In the castle courtyard, just like the other day, many members of the upper class have gathered as spectators.
Nemophila, who shocked everyone in the first round yesterday, stands in the courtyard, drawing curious glances.
Meanwhile, the tall man with purple hair standing in front of her wears a lewd smile as he watches Nemophila.
"Now, we will begin the second day of the inheritance battle, the second match."
As King Capucine, the judge of the inheritance battle, declares this, the crowd erupts in cheers and applause.
Receiving it all, Nemophila secretly holds her breath.
A different kind of tension fills the air.
Her hands feel cold.
As she takes deep breaths in silence, Capucine continues.
"First Prince Crocus, Third Princess Nemophila, please come to the center of the courtyard."
With tension in her heart, Nemophila walked toward the center of the courtyard.
A tall guy with purple hair──Crocus stepped forward, his black cloak billowing behind him.
His short, neatly trimmed purple hair and sharp eyes of the same color, along with a monocle over his left eye.
He stood just a bit taller than her, and unlike her, he had a calm expression.
It felt like it had been a while since they faced each other like this.
"Looks like you brought your sword and shield today."
"..."
Crocus narrowed his eyes, checking out her gear, a knowing smile creeping onto his face.
Nemophila was currently armed, albeit modestly, since most of the divine blessing had been sealed away.
She wanted to retort, 'Whose fault is that?' but more than that, she wanted to show Crocus that she was sticking to the rules.
She raised her right hand, showcasing the ring she wore.
"This should be good enough, right?"
"..."
When she demonstrated that she was following the kidnapper's orders, she felt Crocus's smile deepen just a bit.
"What are you talking about? That's quite a fancy ring you've got there, but isn't it a bit early to be getting all fancy?"
"..."
Of course, he played dumb.
He was always ready to deny giving any orders, keeping his options open.
He knew full well what kind of pain she was going through because of this ring.
Her body felt heavy.
Her chest was tight.
It felt like she was being stabbed all over with needles.
The forced blockage of the divine blessing from the gods seemed to be causing some kind of abnormality in her body.
If she let her guard down, she felt like she could collapse at any moment.
(......But)
Nemophila endured all of that and firmly readied the sword and large shield.
Even in this state, she was determined to win this fight.
If she could win while wearing the ring, Kikrys would come back safe, and she could achieve her goal of becoming king.
It wasn't anything complicated.
In fact, it was straightforward.
Fight and win.
"Alright then, let's get started!"
Nemophila moved her heavy body like lead and desperately lunged at Crocus.
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