The Little Scoundrel Marcias

'd*mn. ....... I've failed.

　He muttered to himself as he walked down the moonlit street at night.
　I was supposed to push Shenna into the ocean, but she avoided me just in time and I fell in myself.
　That's when I dropped the flute that was entrusted to me by sister Ainoe.

'What am I going to do ....... If you don't do this, this Master Marsyas will be finished .......

　Honestly, I want to run away.
　But it will be difficult.
　There will be more horrible reprisals for me if I escape from that witch.
　And I have nowhere else to go.
　I don't want to go back to being a thief.
　I have to earn her forgiveness.
　While I was thinking about it, we arrived at our destination.
　We have arrived at the darkest place in the Republic of Ariadia.
　There are three walls in the Republic of Ariadia.
　This is because as the city of Ariadia grew, the walls were built outward from time to time.
　However, the expansion of the city stopped decades ago.
　And the place where we are now is outside all the walls. In other words, the outer city.
　Anyone can enter and live in this place.
　Of course, even exiled criminals from other countries can enter.
　In such an outer city, there are many organizations formed by criminals.
　And among the criminal organizations, there is also an evil cult that worships demons.
　This evil cult oversees and controls the criminal organizations in Ariadia. In other words, it could be said to be the shadow ruler of Ariadia.
　Without citizenship and without any backing, I had no choice but to become a freedom fighter or a criminal.
　Well, I wasn't confident in my armor, so I had to choose the latter.
　As I walked, I saw a large building ahead of me.
　The building is quite a fine structure is wooden.
　The reality is that the headquarters of the criminal organization is an ordinary restaurant and inn at first glance.
　This inn has a basement where there is an altar to the black goat-headed demon.
　This is where Ainoe's sister is supposed to be.

Hmm?

　Then you notice that someone is at the entrance.
　Standing at the entrance is a man.
　He doesn't look like a traveler. He is not dressed to travel. The one the man is wearing is commonplace.
　What is he doing?
　I wonder if he's here for the hookers.
　The women who work in this diner and inn are also prostitutes.
　Probably one of them is the girl you are looking for.
　She looks mature, but the bastards are all dirty in their own skin. There's no doubt about it.
　Or maybe they're after a male prostitute, but somehow it doesn't feel like it.
　I've seen a number of homos*xuals in my life, and they don't look like those guys.
　But I wonder. Why don't they go inside?
　The only thing I can think of is that this man is a virgin.
　Perhaps it is the first time he has asked out a prostitute. That is why I do not know what to do and cannot enter.
　If it looks, it has a face that seems to be well brought up.
　The face is so well-groomed that I want to punch it if I look closely.
　Then I think of something.
　If I take this guy with me, he might forgive me.
　It's called human trafficking.
　I'm sorry, but this man is going to be a sacrificial lamb.
　He could be sacrificed to the witches, or drugged and turned into a male prostitute.
　This man's people might find him.
　But if they find out he tried to get into one of these establishments, they'll try to hide it.
　And when that happens, the investigation will never lead back to me.
　So there should be no problem.

"Hey, bro. What are you doing in there?

　I call out softly to him.
　Then the man turns around.
　He looks a little surprised. I guess he didn't expect to be approached out of the blue.

'No, nothing in particular ......'

　The man says with difficulty answering.
　Just as I suspected. Buying prostitutes is a legal right, but it's forbidden by nature.
　Someone born in an honest family would balk.
　But I can't shake the feeling that I want a woman.
　That's probably why he's acting like this.

"If you want, I'll show you around. I can introduce any girl to you because I'm the person in charge of this store. I can introduce you to any girl.

　I say this and the man opens his eyes and looks at me.
　Then he looks at me again as he thinks about something.

'If that's what you mean, please do.

　The man smiles at me.
　He doesn't seem to be wary of us. I chuckle at that.

'It's settled. Follow me, brother.

　I take the man into the store.
　The first floor of the shop is a restaurant and a bar.
　The sun has already set, so the light is on inside the shop.
　Many people come to the bar to drink.
　Some of them will have citizenship.
　The reason why these shops with prostitutes are tolerated is because of the support of the citizens.
　Whether they have citizenship or not, human nature will not be changed.
　The reason why the goddess Ishtia is counted among the twelve gods is because her existence cannot be denied, despite the fact that it is contrary to the teachings of the goddess Feria.
　That's why God King Odis must have welcomed Ishtia as one of the 12 gods.
　I go to the back of the store, avoiding the drunken customers and the women and men who work there.
　The man follows me without question.
　What a fool he is. Even though a terrible fate awaits him down the road.
　He goes to the back of the store and walks down the aisle. Then you enter a room.
　The room is just a warehouse.

'What is this place?'

　The man looks a little confused as he's brought into the warehouse.

'Hehe, well, look at you.'

　I laugh and approach one of the cupboards.
　Then I move the cupboard to the side. Then a staircase that leads to the basement appears.

'Oh!'

　The man lets out a surprised voice.

'Kuh, surprised?　We're going to go downstairs from here, okay? There's a hell of a beauty inside.

　I'm not lying.
　The witches are all beautiful.
　They may be using magic to disguise their appearance, though.

'Good. I don't know why you're being so nice to me, but it helps.'

　The man thanks him.
　How stupid can he be?
　There's no way there would normally be a woman in the basement.
　Don't you think that's a little strange?
　Maybe I was blessed to grow up in an environment that allowed me to live without questioning people.
　I can feel a black fire forming in my heart.
　You want to knock this guy down to the depths of your misery.
　You are now going to be a sacrifice.
　I laugh in my mind.
　I go down to the basement with the man.
　The basement is not just dug out of the ground.
　The stones, the floor, and the ceiling have been neatly cleared and the ground is not bare.
　We don't know who made this basement. It's quite a feat.
　However, considering the existence of the demon that gave Ainoe his magic, this much might not even work.
　The man and I walk through a wide underground passage. The walls are lit, so it's not dark.
　The man doesn't say anything, he just follows me.
　As we walk, we arrive at a large place.
　In the room are the usual witches and men in robes.
　I've never seen the men in robes before.
　All but the man in the lead are wearing white masks.
　The masks are simple in structure, with only a few openings in the eyes and mouth.
　Who are they?
　I can sense a bad feeling from the white masked ones.
　When we enter the square, Ainoe and the others look at us.

'Hmm, it looks like you didn't run away. Marcias. I'm sure you can't run away. I've put a curse on you, you know.

　Ainoe looks at you and says

You can't run away from ...... that's impossible. By the way, Miss Ainoe. Where are your people?

　I look at the guys in robes to distract them from the topic.

'Hm, you don't need to know, but I'm going to tell you something. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. I'm sure he's our collaborator.

　Ainoe tells me when she sees the only man who isn't wearing a mask.
　Indeed, the man is dressed as a sorcerer.
　However, I didn't think the vice-president of the sorcerer's association was a collaborator.

''Lord Ainoe. If you speak too much like that ......

　Talabos says with a troubled mouth.
　It's certainly not a good thing to talk about. It would be a big deal if it was known that the vice president of the Magicians Association was in league with the witches.
　However, Ainoe is not a tight-lipped person. Moreover, he is quite lacking in some areas.
　She speaks flippantly and seriously.

I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry, Mr. Tarabos. I'm sorry, Mr. Tarabos, but who is that man? He's a nice guy.

　Ainoe looks at the man and says.

'Hehe. I'm sure you do. I was wondering if you guys would like it.

　I say, and quickly get behind the man and draw my dagger.
　I have to stick this man out and get him to forgive me for my blunder.

'Don't move. Brother.

　I say in a low voice, holding the dagger out to him.
　Now the man will know he's been tricked. But it's too late. I won't let him go.
　I watch the man's reaction.
　But the man does not react at all.
　Something is wrong with him.

"You must be Zeal!　I need to ask you something!!!

　Suddenly a man shouts out.
　When he says the name Zeal, Ainoe and the witches in the vicinity cry out in surprise.
　Zeal is the name of the demon that turned Ainoe into a witch.
　How does this man know this?
　The man's gaze is on Ainoe.
　But I don't feel that he is looking at Ainoe.
　He seems to be looking at the space behind Ainoe. There's nothing in that space.

'Ho....... Can you see me? Who are you?

　A wild voice rang out in the room.
　It was then. A huge figure comes out from behind Ainoe.
　The figure resembles a satyr, but unlike a satyr, it has black hair and a head that is more like a goat. It is also more muscular and one size larger than the satyr we've seen before.
　That black satyr looks at me.

''Hi!

　The pressure of his gaze was unbearable. He sits down on the floor.
　Even Talabos looks at the black satyr with a surprised look on his face.
　The only ones who aren't surprised are the witch and the man next to her.
　He looks at the man next to him. Nothing is surprised by the black satyr's appearance.
　He is unconcerned.

'I don't believe we've met. Zeal. I've heard about you from Lord Ulubald, in case you were wondering.'

　The man says to the black satyr.
　Who the hell is this man?
　When he sees the black satyr, he is not surprised, but rather unconcerned.
　That's when you realize for the first time that the man is not a mere mortal.

'You know about Master Urbalt!　You!　Who are you?　You're not just a man!

　The black satyr exclaims.

'Yes. ....... Would it be easier to understand you in this form?'

　When the man said that, black flames enveloped the man's entire body.
　And when the black flames disappeared, there was a knight in jet black armor standing at the place where the man was standing.

''Ridiculous?　The Dark Knight!　Who the hell are you?　...... No you are.

　Suddenly a black satyr kneels down.

'That's right!　Zeal!　I am what you think I am. I've got questions!　Answer me!　Zeal!

　That was when the man called the Dark Knight said that.
　A powerful wind emanates from the Dark Knight.

'Gu......'

　When you are hit by that wind, you moan and fall to the ground.
　An inexplicable fear rises from deep within my body.
　My legs tremble. I can't stand.
　I look across my face and see Ainoe and Tarabos also falling to the ground and shaking.
　The demon called Zeal has not fallen, but he is shaking.
　But the masked men behind Tarabos are standing normally.

'Oh ......'

　I hear voices coming from the entrance of this room.
　I turn my head to the other side and see someone kneeling.
　Probably hobbled by fear.
　Then I am surprised to see the face.

'Shenna: ......'

　It was Shenna who was at the entrance.




Shenna, the dancer.

Where does he think he's going?

　The drowned Marcius was soon restored by the healing magic of Lady Sahoko.
　And when night fell, he went out of the troupe's quarters.
　There's nothing wrong with leaving your quarters at night.
　The Midas Commander allows you to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't interfere with the show.
　There is nothing special about tomorrow.
　The troupe has postponed the play to entertain the brave men.
　That may be why some of the troupe members seem to have gone out to the outside tavern.
　Even Ainoe's sister seems to have gone out somewhere.
　Maybe she went to her lover's place.
　I follow Marcias.
　Marcias is heading to the entertainment district outside the city walls.
　I know that he heads there from time to time.
　I couldn't find him yesterday, but I wonder which shop he goes to?

But you can't escape this Lady Sienna, Marcius.

　No footsteps and no sign of life.
　It's easy for me, as I've mastered the art of walking without making a sound.
　After a while, Marcias walks to the biggest store in the outer city.
　I'm sure Marcias wasn't there yesterday when I looked for that store.

'Huh?　I'm pretty sure that man is ......

　In front of the store, Marcias spoke to a man.
　The man's face was familiar.
　He was the man who was with the woman his brother Decius had called the goddess of moonlight.
　Why was he here? Could it be a member of Marcias?
　But you can't hear what they say from this position.
　Marcius and the man accompany him into the shop.
　I follow them into the shop.
　Some people look at me as I enter the shop, but they immediately turn away, as if they are not interested.
　I'm not dressed as a dancer now. They are hiding their faces and bodies in hooded robes.
　Sometimes people who hide their identities enter these places.
　Such people hide their faces when they enter the shop, so my outfit should not be that strange.
　Underneath this outfit, I carry my two favorite curved swords and several weapons.
　Marcias must not be the only one who controlled Kalkinos. There are others who are backing out.
　And I'm pretty sure he's dangerous.
　We'd better be careful.
　As you enter the store, you see the two men walking into the back of the store.
　I found out when I entered the store yesterday, I believe it was off-limits to all concerned.
　Why do they let Marcias through?
　But I don't have time to think about that.
　Two of them go ahead of me.
　But as expected, I can't go in there because of the eyes of the employees.
　Then what should I do?
　I hold the Tethuiken small enough so that others cannot see it.
　The Tejosen is a small sword that can fit in my hand.
　I throw the sword by moving my wrist only.
　The thrown sword hits a shoe at the feet of one of the guests.
　The customer, whose shoe is sewn to the floor, falls down.
　It would appear to the casual observer that the guest was drunk and fell.
　The fallen guest goes to the table and throws the liquor and food on top of him on the floor.
　Then there is a loud noise and the eyes of the customers and employees turn to the table.
　I take advantage of their blind spots and jump noiselessly into the wall and slide into the place where Marcius has gone.
　It's the same procedure as a magic trick. You concentrate your guest's attention on your right hand and make a stealthy motion with your left.
　However, you would not be able to do this without the ability to move quickly and without making a sound.
　The employee standing near the entrance didn't seem to notice me either.
　I follow Marcias.
　There are multiple doors in the corridor.
　I wonder where he went into the room.
　I take off my hood and listen in.
　Then I hear someone in one of the rooms.
　As I sneak up to the room, I hear someone talking clearly.

"Huh, are you surprised?　We're going to go downstairs from here, okay?　There's a hell of a beauty inside.

　It's Marcius' voice.

'Good. I don't know why you're being so nice to me, but it helps.'

　You hear the man thank you.
　Then you hear something move.
　Then the presence of people disappear from inside.
　I go inside.
　The room is seemingly an ordinary warehouse. I don't see any place to go down to the basement.

'That's odd. I'm pretty sure I was in this room.'

　I look carefully at the floor and walls.
　Eventually, I find the remains of one of the cupboards that has been moved.

'Looks like this one,'

　Examine the cupboard and move it to the side. Then a staircase that leads down to the basement appears.

'Well, I wonder what's waiting for me: ......

　I go down to the basement and follow Marcias.
　As I walk down the aisle, I see a large space ahead of me.
　In the center of the room is the man who was with Marcias and the Goddess of Moonlight.
　I duck into the shadows of the room's entrance and peer inside.
　There are people standing in the room who look like sorcerers outside of Marcias and the others.
　Then he looks at the back of the room and gasps.

'Lie ....... Sister Ainoe.

　The one in the back of the room was Ainoe's sister.
　But even more surprisingly, there was a man with a black goat's head standing next to Ainoe.
　Ainoe's sister was standing next to a man with a black goat's head.
　The satyr said something to the man next to Marcius, who was with the Goddess of Moonlight.
　Suddenly, a black fire engulfed the man's body.
　And in the place where the man was standing when the black flames disappeared, there was a knight in black armor standing there.
　You can't help but shout when you see it.
　I can hear the black satyr call the knight a dark knight.
　I don't know what's going on anymore.
　It was then. A strong wind emanates from the dark knight.

"Eh ......

　That's when I got that wind. Suddenly, my legs begin to shake.
　I can't stand it and put my knees on the floor.
　That's when I lean forward into the interior of the room.
　I can see multiple eyes watching me.
　I look up and meet eyes with Marcias.

'Shenna: ......'

　Marcius calls my name.
　I've been made aware. I have to get away.
　I tap my foot and force myself to stand up.
　My feet are still not back to normal. But if I don't escape, it's not good.
　I hurry back the way I came.
　I can feel something chasing me.
　Hurry!
　I take off the robe I was wearing to cover my face and get into something more comfortable to move around in.
　I run up the stairs and back to the first floor and run to the exit of the store.
　The woman who works there is surprised to see me, but I don't care.
　I weave my way through the drunken customers and exit the shop.
　Then I hear angry voices coming from inside the store.
　Probably, they bumped into someone who was chasing them and got into a fight.
　Let's gain some distance while we can.
　I'm confident in my legs. Is it easy to catch up with them?
　We'll push our way through the crowd.
　When we reached a deserted area, we saw a white mask in front of us.
　A figure in a white mask suddenly stands in front of us.

'Lie!　When did that happen!

　The masked one swings his sword.
　He was fast.
　I quickly ducked by ducking backwards.
　The opponent is moving so fast that it's dangerous to turn my back to him.
　I decide as soon as possible to duck under the opponent's sword and do a foot sweep.
　The white masked man who was wielding the sword falls headfirst to the ground.
　I flee in the meantime.
　I look behind me for a bit while running away.
　The white masked person doesn't seem to feel any pain and immediately tries to get up.
　Then I see it.
　The true face which hits the ground and peeps out from the mask which cracked. It was not the face of a living person.
　I run.
　I feel the presence of multiple pursuers.
　The speed is extraordinary. It's not human movement.

"I suppose I have no choice: ......

　I touch the curved knives on either side of my waist.
　Then I take out a small water bag containing medicine from my pocket.
　In the water bag is the elixir Asash. If you drink this, you will gain powerful strength for a certain period of time.
　Originally, the magic fruit water drunk by the bears of Ghami was improved by the magician Getafix. It is said that the hero Asterix fought against powerful demons by drinking it.
　But asash is a dangerous potion.
　If you can't control it instead of gaining great strength, it can destroy your body.
　But they trained me to be able to use this medicine.
　It was my mother who trained me. My father and brother will never know what happened.
　She was an Assassin.
　We are called Assassins because of our use of the elixir Asash, the warriors who protect the congregation of Lord Ishtia.
　The congregation of Lord Ishtia is often contrary to the law. They often do not follow the laws of the nations.
　For this reason, the believers needed the power to defend themselves.
　The result of this was the Assassins.
　However, they are not a cult of warriors and are not good at fighting.
　That's why they decided to use a dangerous drug called asash.
　And it is not necessarily demons that the followers of Lord Ishtia fight against. They take on humans as well.
　The Assassins bury those who violate the cult's congregation in the dark unnoticed.
　The reason for this is to avoid capture by the country's soldiers. As you would expect, killing them head-on would not escape arrest.
　But I will leave a mark that he was killed for harming Lady Ishtia's congregation.
　This way, no one would want to harm the followers of Lord Ishtia.
　And from the point of the dark strike, Assassin became synonymous with assassins.
　I'm going to drink up Assassins.
　What would my brother look like if he knew I was taking a banned substance?
　I'm sure they will try to stop it.
　But now is not the time to think about such things.
　Drinking asash makes you feel energized and empowered from deep within.
　And the sharpened senses tell you that you are surrounded.
　My opponent draws nearer and nearer.
　I fly.
　With my increased leg strength, I can fly to the roof of a two-story building with a single kick on the wall.
　But my opponent also climbs onto the roof.
　It's an amazing physical feat.
　By climbing to the top of the roof, you can see your opponent chasing you.
　They are all wearing sorcerer's robes and white masks on their faces.
　Their movements are probably at least as good as mine.
　They walk unabashedly even on the unstable roof.
　Each masked person holds a weapon at the ready.
　Some of them even have heavy maces. They must be not only fast but also strong.
　I draw the two curved blades from my waist.

'Come, I will show you the sword dance of those who serve Lord Ishtia.

　The masked men were approaching.
　I ducked the closest masked man's sword and swung my curved sword to the side, slicing his neck.
　Then the masked one from behind swung his mace and bent down, slashing his opponent's legs as he fled behind me.
　As soon as I move away from the two masked ones, the masked ones with two small swords in their left and right hands attack me from above.
　I duck and duck the two stilettoes and spin around to slash the opponent's left arm.
　However, the masked man attacked me with his right arm only, even though his left arm was slashed.
　He doesn't seem to feel any pain.
　Moreover, that attack is quite fast.
　As I am dealing with the stiletto wielder, I feel two masked men with a large sword and a spear approaching me.
　I focus my mind while dealing with the one with the stiletto.
　The great sword and spear are unleashed on me.
　However, the attack did not hit me, but the masked one with the stiletto.
　The masked one with the stiletto was cut into pieces by the spear and the big sword, and he was unable to move.
　It is an illusion.
　The followers of Lord Ishtia use illusionary magic by blessing. I have a little of that blessing, so I'm able to use a little bit of magic.
　And by drinking Asash, my magic power is increased and I can use more powerful magic.
　The magic is used to create an illusion of me and take the place of me.
　The large sword and spear slipped through my illusion and sliced through the stiletto bearer who was facing me.
　I didn't seem to have any pain, but I seemed to have vision, so I was able to use it.
　I decapitate the masked one with the spear and large sword from behind while the weapon is taken by the body of the masked one with the small sword.
　Even though my strength is increased by the assash, it should be a fatal wound, though I can't go as far as to cut off his head.
　However, the blood doesn't spray out.
　The masked one with the great sword and spear is moving normally.
　I sense the newcomers coming and flee to another roof.
　However, a different masked person approaches from where I escaped.
　One masked man in a sword wielder's mask and another in a mace wielder's mask chased me.
　They were not human, after all.
　There are a total of thirteen masked ones.
　It's a pretty tough situation.
　Asash is a powerful tool, but if you continue to use it for a long time, your body won't be able to withstand it.
　Even in the attack and defense just now, it was hard to control the power.
　What do we do now?
　I tauten my thoughts.

'Awesome ....... Brilliant move.'

　Suddenly, a voice is called out from above my head.
　When you look up, you see a knight in jet black armor floating in the sky with the moon in the background.

'You are ......'

　That figure is very fantastic, but it's not the time to admire it.
　That's the Dark Knight in the basement. We can't be too careful.
　The dark knight comes down to the roof.

''I'll deal with him myself from here.

　The Dark Knight waves his right hand as he says this. Then all the masked people are blown away.
　I didn't know what he did.
　Did he use some kind of magic?
　I look at the Dark Knight.
　The opponent is now alone, but the situation has not improved.
　This dark knight is probably much stronger than the masked ones.

''I was going to help you, but ....... I guess I didn't need it. It was such a beautiful move, I just fell in love with it.

　The Dark Knight says to me.
　What does it mean to help? I don't know what that means.
　But I don't have time to think about it. If I don't defeat this dark knight, I won't be able to escape.
　I run towards the dark knight.
　Then, I use illusionary magic to create multiple swords and release them at the dark knight.
　The illusory swords head straight for the dark knight.
　The dark knight lightly moves his right hand.
　In his hand, he holds the two hand-thrown swords that he hid and threw at the Illusionary Sword.

''You monster!

　I couldn't help but say so.
　As I closed in on the dark knight, I moved my two curved swords separately to aim at his neck and arms.

''Huh?''

　I almost fall as it is.
　The dark knight suddenly disappeared in front of me.

''That's quite a move. It's similar to Rage's moves. But I wonder if Rage is sharper.''

　I can hear the lazy tone of the Dark Knight from behind me.

''Could it be the dark eyes?''

　I turn around and say.

'Oh, not that you need to use illusion. I can do this much with just my movements.'

　The Dark Knight says flatly.
　A chill runs down my spine at those words.
　Is it possible that the movement alone has tricked my eyes?
　And now I should be feeling worse for having taken the assash.
　I step back.
　I don't feel like I can beat this dark knight no matter how I do it.
　Then there's only one thing to do.
　My opponent doesn't seem to be interested in killing me right away.
　That's where I'm betting.
　I suck the curved blade in my right hand and take out a small jar from my pocket.
　The dark knight looks at me with interest.
　Just as I thought. My opponent is careless, thinking that he can beat me at any time.
　I take advantage of the opportunity.
　I write letters on the left curved blade.
　Then I focus my attention.
　More than one of me appears.
　It's the magic of multiple illusions.

"Heh. ......

　The Dark Knight makes a startled sound.

'Let's go!

　I run to the Dark Knight while crossing the illusion I created.
　I make the illusion face the Dark Knight from all sides.

''Sorry, but it's useless.''

　The Dark Knight flies and appears in front of me.

''d*mn!

　I glare at the dark knight.

'You can either run away yourself or ...... while I attack you with an illusion. Not a bad move, though.

　I guess the Dark Knight's words still didn't work.
　But he didn't seem to notice the other thing.
　The rest is fine, as long as my brother notices it. I laugh in my heart while making a regretful face.

'It looks like he hid the sword I wrote a message on during the attack earlier somewhere: ....... Good luck finding it.

　But I despair at the Dark Knight's words.
　It seems that he has seen it all through.
　The flute I gave my brother will be the only clue.
　That's all I can bet on.

"We'll get him.

　My body trembles at those words.
　It's not that I don't know what the captive woman will face.
　They will probably be made to torture.
　I saw this dark knight's true face, and I sensed that deep inside his mature-looking face, he hid a nasty heart.
　I know this because I've received many men's gazes when I was a dancer.
　I'm sure they will do nasty things to me that I can't express in words.
　The dark knight raises his right hand.
　Then, the strength of the body goes out.

''Brother ......''

　I muttered and felt my consciousness sink into the darkness.