| Author: Shizuku | Original Source: Syosetu | Word Count: 2158 characters |
| Translator: Nomad | English Source: Re:Library | Word Count: 1046 words |
| Editor(s): Robinxen | ||
“I’m Plum’s master, I have to shoulder at least this much risk.”
“In that case I’m Plum’s older sister. I’m also responsible for keeping her safe.”
“It was my selfishness that called her your sister. But I’m glad you decided to accept her as your sister, really.”
“In that case-”
“If you think that, you should do everything you can to save her. So please do that.”
She somehow takes my claim and turns it against me, bowing as she pleads. Christina has always been quiet and mature with everything she does, but she’s also the daughter of a noble. Someone like that would usually never be allowed to bow to a magic automaton.
“Let’s go, Natalia. Making her beg any more would be too rude.”
Ruri says as she takes hold of my shoulder, but I understand that much too.
“If anything bad happens just run away. There’s no point in rescuing Plum if you don’t make it out too.”
“Okay, I’ll be careful.”
Even now I can tell Christina is trembling.
Ruri and I circle around the building and enter through a door that was carelessly left unlocked.
“?”
“Is something wrong?”
“Oh it’s nothing. I just felt like there was some weird presence, but I probably just imagined it.”
I felt something strange, but there’s nothing out of the ordinary nearby.
Plum is more important anyway.
We peek from behind wooden boxes, which are probably filled with some sort of merchandise, and we see Plum surrounded by a group of men. They’re… five in total.
The white flesh that had taken over her arms vanishes into her Sorcery Core, exposing her cracked arms and loose nerve threads, her hands barely keeping their shape. I know Plum can’t feel pain, but it feels painful seeing her like that.
“That man there said something to make Plum’s arms go back to normal.”
“What do you mean?”
“It seemed like some sort of chant. I’m not familiar with this country’s spells so I couldn’t really understand it though, sorry.”
I guess her enhanced hearing won’t help if she doesn’t know what words to look for.
But this also makes it easier to know what to do.
“He seems to know the password for Plum’s Sorcery Core. We have to capture him and make him tell us what it is.”
“I’ll distract them then.”
“Are you sure? You didn’t bring your katana.”
Plum went out of control soon after we left her at the laboratory, so we didn’t get enough time to prepare. So Ruri came without her katana, which I had seen in action at the Adventurers’ Guild before. I didn’t feel comfortable letting her get exposed unarmed.
“I always carry a dagger with me just in case, and I can use a bit of magic, so don’t worry.”
Saying that, Ruri pulls out a 30 cm long dagger from her kimono’s sash.
“Also, we should avoid using our real names, and we should hide our faces too.”
“You’re right.”
Both Ruri and I served our respective masters. I don’t think we’re going to lose, but it’s still best if we avoid causing any trouble for them.
I take out my alchemy cauldron and some monster bones from my magic storage, and quickly fit us some masks.
“Ah, could you try making this part a bit different?”
“There’s no need to be so picky considering the situation…”
Once I’m done making the masks, she leaves to catch their attention.
And then…
“I am Bunny Moon! And now in the name of the moon, I will punish you!”
I want to say something so badly. I really want to get up there and smack her in the head.
Like seriously, I only did it because she insisted, but why would a rabbit half-beast wear a rabbit mask? She even has four ears now.
And what’s she saying now? I thought she would repeat something from a historical series, but then she goes with Sailor Moon. I don’t get her at all.
I manage to sneak through the shadows until I’m almost next to Plum, but I feel like I’m battling something completely different.
“Taking a young fair maiden against her will, and forcing her to obey orders like that really makes me burn with jealo- with anger!”
Hey, you almost said you were jealous.
“I don’t know who you are, but we can’t let you leave after what you’ve seen. All of you, get her!”
“Alright!”
The men move out to catch Ruri, so I also jump out from behind the boxes and use my nerve threads to catch Plum and the man who knows the password. Then I hold my magic blade against the man, making sure he can see it.
“Don’t move.”
“Guh.”
I say that loud enough so not only him, but the other men can hear it.
They all freeze realizing I have a hostage, getting nervous as they carefully look at me.
“Good job, Silver Bullet!”
I guess that’s my name now.
“So how about you tell us the password for that magic automaton’s Sorcery Core? I’ll spare your life if you do that.”
“Wait, I don’t know it.”
“I watched how you stopped the white arms earlier. That should only be possible with the password.”
“…”
“Don’t think staying silent will help you. We’ve already reported all of your past wicked deeds to the authorities, and we have the support of a noble. It’s the end of the line for you.”
That’s obviously a bluff. We have no idea what other illegal activities they were up to in the past, or possess any type of evidence. And while Christina is the daughter of a noble, that doesn’t mean her family will automatically support us.
“Alright… I get it.”
It seems to have worked though, as the man shrugs in resignation.
Even if they’re dealing with illegal goods in the slums, they’re still merchants, basically regular people with no combat experience, or at best are on par with street thugs. That was how I thought of them, vastly underestimating them.
And I was soon proven wrong.
“No! Don’t let him do anything!”
Ruri shouts loudly, but it’s too late. A powerful impact sends my body flying away before I can even see what happened1.
