The Dungeon Seeker

Chapter 6 - The Forest of Ancient Trees Dyed with Blood ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ (Part 1)

Junpei has reached the base camp in the lake.

It is the base camp of the insane hunters that had spread in the lakeside.

From how it looks, the fat manーーthe source of evil, the great noble, is fishing along the waters.

After putting down on the side the female elf that he was carrying, Junpei counted the number of guards, and then checked the number of miscellaneous workers.

ーーahh, everyone’s here.

“Un”, he nodded, and Junpei jogged towards the great noble.

The noble that noticed Junpei approaching, he stood up while making a blatant expression that showed an offended expression.

「Do not come near me without permission……also, your head is too high, go on the side and bow your head you scum」

He said while shooing Junpei away.

「That’s right……your timing of bowing your head was also late before. ……damn it, these bastards from the underground guild is really of poor quality……」

And there, the noble man raised his hand.

「I do not have words to give to lowly plebeians. Although, that plebeian, that thing might also have some reason for coming to me. Go and ask him what he wants」

And then, one of his henchmen nodded, walked towards Junpei, and called out to him.

「You, if I am correct……you are the worker under Sakakibara-sama right? What is it? Is it an urgent matter?」

Junpei shook his head, then glared at the henchman without saying anything.

「……you, hurry up and bow your head……do you want to die?」

The man showed annoyance to Junpei who wouldn’t bow his head even though the great noble has commanded.

Even more to that, this Junpei is glaring at the bodyguard that is also the representative of the noble, showing a defiant attitude.

And the noble who noticed that opened his mouth lazily.

「……discipline him. What, do not worry, we are outside the city. There is no problem with having a missing person……you can kill him. At the worst case, I will make it that it never happened……this is too unpleasant」

Receiving those words, “yeah”, Junpei nodded.

「Unpleasant you say, I completely agreeーー【Acceleration】」

ーーthe “chore” ended in an instant.

And Junpei, he slowly walked towards the noble.

「……what are you doing? You underground guild trash……?」

When he stopped walking in front of the noble, Junpei throws a fist with a wide swing.

「……?」

The noble made a clueless expression.

What was going to happenーーit was a situation as clear as the day, but even so, the noble man couldn’t understand it as reality.

He could not be blamed, after all, he has never been hit even by his father.

He was doted on as a protected son, he was carefully raised, he was arrogant and impudent even after becoming an adult, and at last, he was like this.

ーー*Meshiri*.

The sound of his nose getting crushed. Junpei could feel the nose blood of the noble dripping down from his fist.

*Zushiiiin*……, he was hit down to the ground with his limbs spread out.

A silence for a while.

And finally, while his limbs stretched out on the ground, the noble man shouted to the sky with a huge voice.

「ーーーーーkill! Kill him! Everybody, attack! Kill him whatever it costs! I will payーーI will pay you whatever you want!! Just kill him!」

His orders are something that should absolutely be followed, and as a fact, there was no case that it did not come true.

That’s right, in his life up until now, everything he was resolved by money and authority.

His grandfather is the Sacred Emperor two generations before, and his uncle is the current Sacred Emperor.

By having that noble bloodーーhe was assured.

He was assured that after several ten seconds, Junpei’s appearance of being attacked and hacked, that a bloody Junpei would be crawling on the ground.

After all, there is nothing in this world that would not go according to his way.

Howeverーーthere, he finally felt dubious, narrowing his eyes.

No matter how much time passes, the surroundings were still quiet.

He could not hear the footsteps and the breath of his henchmen that would pounce towards Junpei.

“What’s happening”, he thought, and raised his body.

And, he lost his words.

「Everybody, attack, you say…… you……who are you ordering?」

The smell of blood and death.

Everywhere was dyed with blood.

And the number of those pools of blood, was equal to the number of people that was here.

Meaning, his henchmen’s necks were sliced open without making a sound, and perished.

「If I just wanted to kill them, I didn’t need to use the skill, but……if I wanted to not make any sound, I needed to use it after all huh. I mean, how overwhelming is this skillーー【Acceleration】」

The noble lost his words, and unable to calm down, he could only panic.

The young man in front of him does not have awe or respect to the great noble who is himself. Eyes that are inorganic, gaze that it was as if, he was looking at a pebble on the road……that kind of person, he has never met one since the day he was born.

On top of that, he had lost his henchmen, and currently unguarded.

With a voice nearing to a scream, the noble exhilarated.

「Y-Y-You……do……doing this to me, do you think you can get away with it?」

「What do you mean by, I cannot get away with it?」

Did he think it was good enough for a foothold for a negotiation, the noble made a sly smile.

「Everyone that you defeated are only C-Rank adventurers and below…… such a lowly person like you, not mentioning Sakakibara……you cannot even be a match for an A-Rank adventurer, the monk Madiel」

「Ahh, is that so……」

「Damn it……if Madiel was only here……if Madiel was here, someone like you…… why……I should have ordered him to guard the surroundings……Madiel……where……where are you……」

And there, Junpei took out his item box, and mischievously laughed.

「Is this what you are searching for?」

*Potori*, a circular thing fell and rolled on the ground.

ーーit was a bald man’s severed head.

The noble man immediately looked away from the severed head with white eyes.

「Madiel……!! Hii!……hii!………hiiiiーーーー!!!」

Half-crazed, he started to run away from that place four footed.

It was similar to what he have done to lowly beings below of him, actions especially towards demi-humans, that isーー

ーーan overwhelming violence. And, an overwhelming mercilessness.

These two, is just about to fall down on him.

And mercy and considerationーーhe has never given those to elves.

That is why, he knows. The man right in front of himーーhe will not have mercy or any consideration towards him.

「Sa! Sa!……Sakakibara!! What are……what are you doing right nowーーーーー!!!!! You’re, you’re……you’re the only one I can rely on!!!!!!!!」

He screamed and shouted “Sakakibara, Sakakibara” crazily.

And then, Junpei took out something from his item box, and threw it in front of the noble who was crawling on fours.

「Is this what you’re searching for? Well, unfortunately……his tendons on his limbs are severed right now, and because of some circumstances, he is currently tied in a certain place……really, I could only take back a piece of him」

ーーa finger.

It is not like there isn’t the possibility of it being another man’s finger. However, for some reason, the noble man was sure. That, that finger was none other than Sakakibara Kazuya’s finger.

「Aaa……aa……aa………」

The noble man has easily accepted that there were no lies on Junpei’s words.

And finally, finally he understood, in this place, he has no allies, he does not have anyone who would save him.

And then, he curled up holding his head, he started to whisper deliriously.

「I……I am the cousin of the Sacred Emperor……one who has the bloodline……extending through a thousand years……」

「Ahh, come to think of it, you were a great noble huh?」

「The overwhelming contribution that our family’s blood kin has given to mankind……science, agriculture, commerce, all of that, all of that are done under the protection of our Sacred Empire……this merit! This achievement……! What that means, do you know?」

The man stood up, and continued with bloodshot eyes.

「That is why, I amーーa lowly plebeian like you, you can neverーーyou shall not touch me!!」

*Pan!*, a dry shooting sound.

「I’m JapaneseーーI don’t give a fucking shit about that」

Junpei spat out towards the fat man that released a blood fountain from the middle of his eyebrows.

「I mean, having a royalty like this……dystopia isn’t enough to describe it. In the first place, if you guys weren’t the ones governing, there probably would’ve been rifle guns invented at least, and the civilization would have advanced……the stage of the sword and magic, it probably ended already, I think? And after that, a steampunk and magic world, I feel like it would’ve advanced to something like that……well, that doesn’t matter though」

And from there, after a whileーー

When the scent of blood has started to seep into the surroundings, and sharp-sighted flies and crows started to pick at the corpses, the female elf woke up.

Does she feel pain from somewhere on her body, she raised her upper body while showing pain on her face.

「……?」

She looked around, and her eyes widened. She took a breath, unable to find words, and coughed.

「You woke up?」

Junpei took out a cup with water in it from his item box, and reaches it out to her.

「What happened here……?」

Leaving a moment’s pause, Junpei opened his mouth.

「The earth dragon, comes out around here right?」

「According to legends……no, I have……also seen it personally……around 200 years ago. That was……it was a splendid ancient dragon with a shining gold color……」

「And so, that’s the elves’ god of protection right?」

Hearing up to that, the female elf started to have tears falling from her eyes.

「……don’t……tell……me?」

「That’s right……it was a massacre」

「Massacre……?」

「Yeah, high ranked dragons, they can turn into humans right? Actually, the one who came, I saw it in human form……even so, I’m absolutely sure that it wasn’t human……those movements, they aren’t something that could be done by humans you know?」

「Dragon-sama……. I see……finally……Dragon-sama……those evil humans……with its fangs……」

The female felt very moved, but she immediately stood up, jumps back, taking distance from Junpei.

「……if Dragon-sama has come out, why, are you alive?」

「Originally, well, I really didn’t want to do this job」

「You didn’t want……?」

「I was troubled, didn’t have enough for food, so, helplessly……I was only a helper」

“Hmph”, she snorted, the female elf glared at Junpei.

「Show some evidence……. you are a human……no, an intelligent orc. You cursed race……destroying our villages, torturing me……trying to rule our heart」

Junpei shrugged his shoulders, rolled his eyes and smiled.

「Show some evidence, even if you say that……. I carried you to a safe place, and looked after you on the side without restraining you……there’s also the possibility that, you’d kill me while I’m off guard you know? I could only say that……believe me for that reason」

Thinking for a while, the female elf shook her head.

「That’s right too. I said too much……forgive me」

「Well, because of having no hostility towards the elves……I think I was overlooked by the earth dragon?」

“I see……”, the female elf took a look at the clothes that she is wearing.

「You were soaked in blood and your clothes were in tatters after all……. I searched inside their tents and cottages, but that’s the only decent thing for girls」

「……」

The female elf approached Junpei without saying anything, and took the clothes that were laid on his side, the ones she was wearing before.

「……can you return by yourself?」

To Junpei’s words, she thought for a while, and the female elf answered like this.

「I can return by myself. But……come with me」

Narrowing his eyebrows, Junpei asked.

「Come with you?」

“Yes”, nodding, the female said.

「The elves, unlike you humans, we will not forget our gratitude. My village was annihilated just a few days ago. My custody, it is given to several settlements right now……and, the corpses from my previous settlement are also collected there. Their burial, it has not been done properly yet」

「……?」

She narrows his eyebrows, as if she was in anguish.

And, she shook her head and said.

「……liver……you need it right? They are just, going to get buried or incinerated in the end. I will guide you to the settlement I am living on right now, introducing you as my benefactor. After that……we will not say anything about whatever you would do in a place that we cannot see」

“Follow me”, she gestured with her head, and the female elf started walking.

And obeying that, Junpei followed from behind.