CH 63

Posted on March 16, 2022 by PhantasmalMira

A/N: If there’re any more criticisms, I might even consider replacing it entirely.

The actions they took are what perfectly demonstrated the behavior of a living creature that is closest to justice in human terms.

I felt very much satisfied.

「Fumu, so you’ve chosen to take it. Take care on your way back. 」

「I’m seeing you in a new light sometimes, RIO. Thanks. 」

I waved and sent them off as the leader left a grin before turning around.

It was a perfect deal.

There were no signs of them trying to attack after taking the money.

It was a pity that this goosebumps-filled negotiation wasn’t on stream, but for the sake of keeping their secret, I should keep it for myself.

Well then, it’s time to return to the villagers.

▼▼▼

「Uwaaaaaaah! 」

「Why! Why is it RIO! 」

「Where are the adventurers!? Didn’t they come to help us!? 」

Well, the villagers who had been watching the interaction from afar all had the same reaction.

That’s to be expected. The group of adventurers that they thought they can trust and rely on turned to their enemies during the short yet long time they watched.

「Looks like you’ve finally understood. Just like this, the adventurers are nothing but people that can discard their intentions of saving even one hostage for the sake of fulfilling their desires. In other words, although there’re may be individual differences, the adventurers that all of you believed in are no more than a “Heartless” that loses against the temptation of money. 」

「No! Noooooooooo! 」

「I don’t want to be killeeeeed! 」

Uumu, they have no intentions of hearing my words, and were starting to shrill so much that my ears are hurting.

Also, it was probably a coincidence but, they found a loophole in my rules. If all of them were to start making chaos at once, it’s hard for me to say who would get to live.

「Silence! Did you forgot that your life would become zero if you are noisy! 」

I tried to intimidate the villagers that were out of control from their fear.

……However, I should just regard it as a harvest to have determined that my thinking is still naive.

For me to start feeling rebellious from the words of a mere young boy, and to have spent one sixth of my money, despite how rarely I have any use for it, looks like my mental side training hasn’t been well.

Well, that’s fine I suppose.

「What this boy thought, albeit sometimes true, was a very dangerous example. If they would move as long as there is enough money involved, it also meant they wouldn’t if there is no money involved. 」

Saying so, all the villagers started sobbing.

Even Boss-san had an expression that he doesn’t have words for.

「That’s why, you have no choice but to become strong. Even if it is fated that you are weaker than the visitors, to become able to protect yourself in this world where the law of jungle is prominent, training yourself day and night is one way. ……Although you won’t even reach an average score with that much, there’s no other choice. 」

「No way…… something like this……」

Did he think that his lack of thoughts wouldn’t be obvious, I tried to approach and whisper to the young boy.

「Well, this is only one example but, have you learned a lesson yet? Umm, Fara-kun was it? 」

「This is a lie! Adventurers would never leave us to die! 」

「There’s no second chance. I have said that. 」

「Ah, aAaaaaaaaaaah! 」

Although it was regrettable, I will follow the rules I’ve set.

The steps are simple. Change to my one-handed sword, chase after those that tries to escape even knowing there is no way to escape, arriving earlier than even the kins could start moving, mowing down everyone’s head, while trying to be indifferently as much as possible, I will turn them into corpses without giving them a chance to even scream.

「……I’m feeling withering. 」

However, the moment I tried to transform, for some reason, I felt my excitement disappear.

It’s not about executing the villagers. It’s from fighting with the need of using hostages.

Against insignificant adventurers that don’t need this kind of deceiving at all, why have I taken a strategy to use hostages? Come to think of it, I was acting like a weak person.

「I have changed my mind, I will give everyone two choices now. Either fight me in a limited time of 1 minute, or get out of this place, show your immediate actions now. Or else……」

「Run! Ruuuuuun! 」

「No no no!!」

When threatened them calmly, most of the villagers chose to immediately run from the place.

The surrounding kins had varied responses, from some that stepped aside, some that didn’t move at all, or some that fell into the river from being crashed into, but all of them followed my orders of not killing.

「Everyone……」

By the time one minute had passed, there’s only one person remaining.

However, I will not point my blade.

「……」

It is the Fara young boy that fell on all fours and was hanging his head.

I was impressed from his courage, even when against a gigantic presence like me but, despite similarly being children, he wasn’t as brilliant as Elma. What a shame.

「What are you feeling guilty for? Rather than everyone getting executed because of you breaking the rules, it’s me who almost kill them. It’s my responsibility. 」

「Ihiiiii! !」

「Now, curse me! Blame me! For someone like you that have lost the people that can be relied on, that much is what you can do at most. 」

「Adventurerrrs! I’m here, adventureeeeeeeeeeers!! 」

The Fara boy ran like a rabbit and kept screaming for help from the earlier adventurers that were just proven untrustworthy.

He’s still a weak human. Even if he knew the truth in his mind, with his strength that can’t even defeat a single goblin, he can only rely on the imaginary hero he has.

There’s no more irony than this.

「RIO-sama, how about stopping at this……」

It was Boss-san who blinked the most.

「Since we’ve lost our hostages, there’s no meaning other than wasting time if we were to stay any longer, let’s return to the cave before morning. 」

「Y-Yesss! 」

Giving instructions to gather the kins, we left the barren area.

The assault this time, the gain is little and it’s a loss overall.

However, the challenge wasn’t something I accepted based on sound reasoning, but merely for entertainment. If I think of it as paying for an expensive tuition, I can say the result was very fulfilling.

……Ufufu, I felt every refreshing, and even my steps were lighter.

A victory without exercising power, is quite the excitement to be had.

「――I’m the one making a report so everything checks out, don’t mind me taking 500 thousand right? 」

「Haa!? Who are you to say that! 」

「I’m gonna freaking kill you! I’m the one that killed 16 Enemies on the way, so I should take 500 thousand! 」

Oya, I saw the group of four adventurers that had left first arguing with each other.

Since I’ve encountered them, I took up my weapon.

「So we’ve met again, the hostages aren’t with me any longer. So, from now on, not as a criminal, but the vampire RIO that threatens the adventurers’ haven, let’s have a death match. 」

「Nn, RIO……? Gogyaaa!? 」

「Wait no, I will return it so aaaagegege! 」

For the adventurers that met me out of town, there’s no other choice than having only one side survive.

The four that was struck from surprise were annihilated without anything remarkable happening.

「Eh, we’re still far from the village…… hyobaa! 」

「Kuh! Hiding like that, this Enemy must be a goblin! ……RIOO!? 」

After that, the group of adventurers who never dreamed that the hostages have almost all disappeared were engaged in a battle and turned into experience points.

The fact that I could do it with such leeway is probably thanks to Boss-san’s 100% accuracy rate sniping. But I can easily handle opponents at this level on my own though.

―――――――――――――――

《Level has risen to 65 (Capped)》

《Karma value has dropped》

《Bounty set by the adventurer’s guild has been corrected to 21.50 million Iris》

《Experience set by the adventurer’s guild has been corrected to 20, 011, 445》

《Race evolution is possible as level has reached the set value》

―――――――――――――――

A/N: What I found out this time, attacking village means decreasing favorability.

A/N: My drowsiness is amazing