Kuro no Maou

He stepped down soundlessly on the gloomy stairway reaching the cellar of the mansion the bandits aka slave dealers were residing.

Until Ludora knocked the door of cellar there was no one who noticed his approach.

Ludora sensed the presence of the person franticly heading towards him even from across the door.

「Teach, got some work?」

The person who came out was the one leading this bandit group, Robert.

Seeing his half-naked sweaty body there wouldn’t be a need to think what he might’ve been doing till now.

No, even without thinking one would think obscene things just by hearing the coquettish voice of girls and bellows of men.

A normal man would not only react mentally but also physically because of the faint sweet smell——the scent of aphrodisiac made from mucus of Morjura.

However Ludora didn’t seem affected by it in the least and spoke with a vacant look and indifference.

「There are people heading here, prepare to run away」

Robert’s face flickered upon hearing those words, but maintaining his reasoning, he asked for the details.

「Are the Chivalric Order of Fuaren or Spada on the move?」

「No, there are three of them. Adventurers, probably」

Robert guessed it wasn’t the worst scenario and heaved a sigh of relief.

「Is there a need to run against just three people?」

「If it is a Party above Rank 4 then I will at most only be able to stall them」

More than that, the group sent along with Zack hadn’t returned, the possibility of them being arrested was quite high.

If the people who defeated those many people were the three heading towards here, then it would mean they are not normal people.

「So just in case, eh?」

Robert understood Ludora’s meaning behind the words. In their occupation running away power is essential, the people who couldn’t see through the right moment to run away had already disappeared in the public on the floor of guillotine.

「Understood we will prepare to run away, as for Teachs’——」

「Galdan already left, I will also head there now. The enemy is nearing through the back side, if we fight near the suspension bridge, you people will get enough time to make an escape for it」

「Then we will from the front side. Heh heh, leaving it all to you, teach」

Ludora nodded silently and rushed up the stairs.

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.

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The bandit group——okay they call themselves as slave dealers, but it should be alright calling them bandit group, right. Their hideout was a mansion located in the mountains somewhat far from Isckia Village,

After hearing most of the information from Zack we headed towards that hideout.

Why we were doing this sort of thing? The answer is simple, we will subjugate the other bandits left.

Incidentally we released Zack right at that spot, Lily said it would be alright so I don’t think he would come back for revenge.

I pray for him to still move on the way of decent adventurer.

「What will you do about Greed Gore?」

Fiona asked while sitting on the horse running parallel in this dark night.

「Will take a look after this」

According to the eyewitness reports the possibility of it not being near anymore is more. Hence, nothing will change if we made haste for a day or two.

「Well from the start we had planned to hunt the monsters in Isckia Hills if we didn’t find it to rake in money, and this bandits subjugation seems to give more money」

「You’re right, the reward on that murderer was also quite a big amount」

Well for the current plan of『Element Master』for subjugating bandits is approved by all, it’s definitely not like my sense of justice exploded and I am forcibly taking them.

There are various reasons for us to take on this subjugation. One, we can easily topple the enemies by ourselves. Two, the students from the Academy are captured. Three, just like I said before this way we will rake in more money.

Regarding the first reason, according to Zack, three people were hired as bodyguards. One of them is a really skilled swordsman while the other is a rank 3 golem.

The other bandits are normal humans without any magic or Martial Skill, just like the people we killed before.

If we just be careful of that swordsman bodyguard, it is easy to exterminate the bandit group.

Second reason, about the kidnapped students, this is not an information that I can feign not hearing.

The little sister Wil was worrying about, Third Princess of Spada Charlotte Tristan Spada had headed out to Fauren to subjugate the bandits. Fortunately the possibility of her being captured is zero.

From the information on the looks of girls I heard from the Zack, it all seemed unfamiliar to me. In short, the people are one’s whom I have never met.

Just, after knowing some fellow students have been abducted, I can’t possibly ignore it.

The third, just as I said before to Fiona, is about money. As we didn’t encounter our main objective, Greed Gore, so we changed the plan as there wasn’t much problem in it.

The danger level of『Isckia Hills』is Rank 3, even if we overhunt the monsters living there, like Centaur or Silent Sheep, the amount we will get for a free quest would not be big enough.

Moreover there is also a fourth reason which I haven’t told anyone about.

「I will make them regret making a move on Fiona and Lily to the point of death」

「You’re speaking the reason, Kurono-san」

Yeah, well, it’s somewhat a personal grudge.

But, upon being told that from the person itself it’s quite embarrassing.

「Kurono-san」

「What?」

「To the point of death, rather means truly dying right」

No, we look there, we can take some of them as prisoners, right,

「The act of robbery and choosing to be a bandit is a capital crime in all countries. It will lessen the labour for Knights if we kill them before」

I got scared of Fiona speaking those words easily, but, this might be the common for this world.

Apparently in the Edo period people were beheaded even if they stole some coins, well the weight of penalty changes per era and country.

「You’re right, if it was needed to capture them all alive or get punished for homicide, then I wouldn’t have gone for their subjugation」

「Eh, did Kurono-san’s world had a system of getting accused of crimes if you killed a bandit?」

To be precise, there are no people called bandits there......well, if one killed a robber and didn’t gave proof of legitimate self-defence, then good-bye, live in prison it would be.

「Yeah, something like that」

「I see......you’re world is quite hard to live in」

Fiona seemed seriously shocked, maybe she took a culture shock for something utterly useless.

Although this talk has made lots of misunderstandings, but it will be fine after I tell her about the way of living on Earth.

「We’re almost at the suspension bridge of back side」

We have the advantage of surprise attack, so there is no reason to not make use of it but enter boldly from the front area.

Of course we also are attacking due to some sudden developments, hence we don’t have all the equipments for making do against the enemies.

「Wake up Lily, we’re getting of the horse」

It is really narrow to move on along with horse, to the point that if one loses their footing, the person should be ready for a headfirst strike on the bottom of cliff.

Well it is a back way, so it’s quite natural.

「Hm, Ugh?」

I wake up dozing off Lily in front of me with a shake.

It is midnight currently, in other words the resting time for this child-form Lily.

However we are going to head into the hideout of bandits now, so I’ve got no choice but become the demon here and wake her up.

「Hey, just wake up」

「*yawn*」

I get off the horse while holding the still-dreaming-with-half-open-eyes Lily.

She’s somewhat standing on her feet, but she seems unsteady on her feet so is coiling around my leg. It’s just too worrisome.

「Shall I give her the Waking-up Potion?」

Fiona took out a single bottle from her hat as if she can’t let Lily’s actions go unnoticed.

「Is the one Simon drank......?」

「Yes」

It’s witch-like to make drugs, but, seeing Fiona’s confident expression I can’t help but feel uneasy, just why?

「Here you go, Lily-san, you’ll wake up in just one mouthful of it」

「Hm, yeeessshhh」

Not knowing my uneasy feeling, Lily took the shady ominous potion from Fiona, and downed in from her small mouth——

「Creeeeeeepppppppyyyyyyyyy!!」

「L-Lily!?」

Lily spewed out the potion with teary eyes, looks like my uneasiness hit the right mark.

「Fiona! You trying to kill me!!」

「Good morning, Lily-san」

Fiona said nonchalantly. I didn’t feel any ill intent in that.

「Isn’t there something you should say to me?」

Lily stared while wiping her mouth. Pretty intense stare that is.

「Kurono-san was getting troubled, so I thought to wake you up fast」

Eh, so you gonna shove the responsibility of that to me!

「Argh......Can’t be helped」

And even you are agreeing to it!!

「Ah, What! Well you seem awake now」

「Yeah, thanks to you」

“It would’ve been great if your adult version still kept on sleeping” is something that I won’t say.

「But is that seriously so much bad?」

「Stop Kurono, if you do that you will die」

No, I haven’t said that I will drink it, yet.

「You’re rude, I’ve adjusted the ingredients so one don’t die」

So you mean that, that damn potion has ingredients that would kill anyone if not adjusted!?

That muddy red liquid seeming like blood just doesn’t seem tasty.

But, it seriously intrigues me......won’t a single mouthful......be fine?

「Kurono......」

I took a new waking up potion from Fiona, purely out of curiosity, but Lily sends a gaze, just like a mom sends to her son going on a battlefield, to me.

D-Does this thing need that much of determination......no, don’t get scared, it will be fine if it’s just one mouthful, heave-ho, here I go!

I took the bottle of potion and——