Volume 3 - CH 17

Act 3-17: Desperate Situation(Side: Felis)

「We have confirmed their flags. The ones hunting in the forest are soldiers of Count Ketzer’s army.」

Lucas muttered with a bitter look on his face.

「What about our evacuation route?」

「They have completely encircled us. It’s extremely strict around this place. Most of Wind Cat’s folks are either too old or too young. I don’t think we can escape while keeping all of them safe.」

「I know that! But we don’t know until we try!」

If we don’t do anything, it will be the end of Wind Cat. I really want to smash the face of that Pigzer, who tramples upon the smiles of his own citizens, to pieces. And worst of all, that pig is doing it just to satisfy his worldly desires!

「There’s another piece of news, Milady. Escaping with all members of Wind Cat is impossible. This is an absolute truth.」

It was rather unusual for Lucas to make such a conclusion. When he did so, everything he said would come true.

We can’t save everyone? Since that’s the case, what shall we do then? Did he tell me to choose who will go with me!?

「Felis-sama, we’ll stay behind. Please escape with the young ones.」

An elderly from Wind Cat said so.

「That’s right. We’ve lived long enough thanks to you, Felis-sama. We’re happy to be able to hold our grandchildren. That’s enough for us.」

An elderly woman added.

「Don’t joke around! As if I can do something like that!」

「If you don’t, everyone is going to die, you know!」

The moment Lucas muttered so,

「SHUT UP!」

I shouted at him while seizing his collar.

「…」

At that moment, Lucas and everyone else fell into silence.

「MILADY!」

「I KNOW! Stay where you are!!」

I unsheathed the long sword hanging on my waist, then ran toward the entrance of the cave.

At the entrance of the cave were the bloodstained citizens of Wind Cat and trampling over them were the mercenaries hired by that Pigzer. I almost couldn’t hold back my anger the moment I saw that scene.

「YOU BASTAAARDS!!」

I stamped on the ground while letting out a bestial roar.

The scenery around me blurred as I jumped at high speed toward the big mercenary wearing an iron mask that had an opening on the mouth part. That guy was kicking Maiya, a black-haired girl who was also a member of Wind Cat.

The sound of metal grazing metal resounded in our vicinity.

(―!!!?)

I was shocked since this masked guy could easily deflect my all-out strike. The next second, I jumped back to dodge the slash of his greatsword. I managed to dodge the slash by a hair’s breadth, yet my stance crumbled because of the wind pressure from his sword.

I stabilized my crumbling stance immediately and got ready to unleash another attack, but…

「Stop right there!」

A triumphant-like shout came from the man with the iron mask. He pointed his greatsword toward Maiya’s windpipe.

I stopped in my place. Upon a glance, I realized that all the other mercenaries were pointing their swords toward the other Wind Cats.

The worst! Now they have hostages. With this, I really have no other choice but to stop moving.

「MILADY, Forget about us! take the other guys and run from this place!!」

Maiya told me to abandon her, and the other hostages immediately did the same.

「Woops, you can’t escape, Princess-sa~n! Now, throw that dangerous weapon in your hand.」

The man with the iron mask said so as he added more power to the feet he used to trample Maiya. Maya’s agonizing wail rang out the next second.

「S-STOP! I won’t escape!」

The moment I dropped the long sword in my right hand…

「Good girl! You’re our most, most important bait after all.」

The man with the iron mask said so in a satisfied voice.

Bait? What’s this man talking about?

「You may come out, Captain Lucas!」

The yell of the man with the iron mask interrupted my train of thought. When he saw Lucas not coming out of the cave, he smacked his lips and pointed his greatsword toward me.

「If ya ain’t coming out now, I’m gonna kill this Princess of yours. You know that I’m coming to kill you, right?」

Even the trees around the caves looked like they trembled at his voice.

「Long time no see, Caesar.」

Then, an old man with a longsword in his right hand, Lucas, came out of the cave. He looked at the man with the iron mask with an expression that sent a chill running down my spine.

The man with the iron mask spat on the ground and threw his iron mask. The left side of the face beneath that iron mask was dissolved like batter.

「It’s throbbing! The face you burned back then is throbbing in pain.」

He said so in a trembling voice as he scratched his burnt left face with his left hand. His expression was showing neither anger nor joy; it was filled with madness. I unintentionally gulped my spit upon seeing that maddening look on his face.

「Thank God! It seems I did a really good job baking it. Well done.」

When Lucas lightly replied to Caesar while pointing his long sword at him, countless thick blood vessels could be seen throbbing on Caesar’s face. Then, Caesar glared daggers at the man wearing a navy blue robe and a pointy hat, who was looking at their exchange from the side.

「Ruby! This guy is mine. Don’t you dare interrupt our battle!」

Caeser threatened the man in the navy blue robe to not intervene.

「Kaykay, I understand. Our victory has already been guaranteed, after all. Do as you like.」

The man in the navy blue robe chanted a short spell. The ground suddenly moved on its own, forming shackles around me, Maiya, and the other Wind Cat’s folks’ limbs.

「You better not be doing something funny unless you want to see these monkeys get torn from limb to limb.」

The moment the man in the blue robe finished his second chant, several magic circles appeared on the ground. Black scorpions crept out of every magic circle, heading toward the Wind Cat’s folks and pointing the tip of their tails toward them.

This man, he might be the same as me, a  summoner. And that pendant with a phoenix carved on its surface is proof that he graduated from 【Babel】’s tower.

Since that’s the case, I really can’t do anything as he knows my ace in the hole. Moreover, his eyes are the same kind of eyes as those of that coldblooded prime minister. He’s the kind of person who would kill anyone without even batting his eyes. They are the eyes of a cruel demon. He isn’t joking. He would really kill Wind Cat’s folks the moment I try to summon that child.

This is a hopeless situation, but I still have a way out of this predicament. Yes, I am not contracted to just that child. Even amongst the royalties, the number of people who know about that can be counted on one hand. Thus, there’s no way that this man knows about THAT.

The only problem when I summon THAT is the possibility of me dying due to paying for the compensation of using THAT power. But, this isn’t the time to hesitate. My family’s life is on the line. I have to save them, my family. That will be my, Felis’s, last duty.

（When that happens, I can leave the rest to Lucas.）

Now I have to find a way to call THAT unnoticed.

I have the advantage since the man in the navy blue robe seems to be focusing on the battle to the death between Lucas and Caesar. I closed my eyes as I started the ceremony, sending my wish to awaken THAT.