----?

　I woke up in extreme pain!

　There's something stuck in my chest: ......!


No!
'Hahaha!　That's the good stuff!
Hey! Don't kill her!

　Yukari screams.
　About five men around him.
　I was caught off guard.
　Thieves.

''............''

　I held back the intense pain without shouting and checked my own HP as I fell down.

　I hadn't even shaved off a fifth of it. It's obvious that my heart has been pierced by a long sword. Nevertheless, that's all the damage he could do. Either the bandit's status is f*cking low, or my status is stupidly high. It's probably the latter.

　The bandits either think I'm already dead or they completely ignore me.
　No wonder. Not dying from being stabbed in the heart, etc., is just common sense. I think so too. It's a stab from the defenseless back of a dozing idiot who is exhausted from traveling all night long. There's no way he can't die. But I'm alive.

　...... No, I'll reflect on that later. Anyway, I was lucky. That's all for now.

"Did you tie me up?
Yeah. Let's get back to it.
How much do you think it will cost?
On the black market, I'm looking at 40 million CLs.
''Haha!　I can't stop laughing.

　The five bandits carried the tied up Yukari and went into the forest in the opposite direction of the sea.

　It's on!　They were blinded by the 40 million in treasure and didn't go through my inventory. It's true that the possessions of an adventurer's style may not be worth much, but I didn't think it would be fatal.

I can't allow ............ to get away with it.

　This is an opportunity.
　"An opportunity to wipe them out.

　I used the potion to restore my HP and followed them into the forest.



　　* * * *



No!

　It's been years since I've screamed like a woman.

　At first I thought it was that man attacking me.
　But that was not the case.

　Several men surrounded me. They tied me up with their familiar hands. I was unable to resist a single resistance. No attacks - an abominable restriction.

'Let's get back to it.'

　The men who carried me into the forest. It was there that I understood for the first time that these men were bandits.

　By the campfire, I saw that man who fell with a sword to his chest.

　How dumb ...... how dumb it is. The man who had talked so boldly about becoming the world's number one, the guy who had been fighting with him just yesterday, died so easily.

　And so did I.

　After being used as a consolation prize, I would be used up as a s*x slave and end up in the cesspool for the rest of my life.

　A life that began in the cesspool from the beginning. Maybe this is our destiny.


　.......

　...................

　I hate it.
　I can't help it, I hate it!

　I still prefer that guy!
　Why should I be the only one who has to go through this!
　No!

　No!
　No!
　No!

What the hell?

　The bandit speaks up.

'......?'

　Then I felt something like heat on my forehead - and.

　And then I remembered everything.



"From now on, you're a shadow. You've got to call me by my nickname.
Very well, Lady Lucia.
Yeah, you're a good boy.

　When I was very young.
　When Lady Lucia stroked my head, it hurt a little bit when my hair got caught in the many rings on her hands.
　I loved those warm hands so much.
　He was like my master and my mother.

'Look, you've got a job to do. You have to be useful to me. It's the only way to survive in this Icene family.
I'm sorry, sir.
Good girl.

　Trained in the art of assassination by Lady Lucia's shadow squad, I became Lady Lucia's right hand man in the dark.
　Assassination was the only thing I was good at. I was such a woman.

　And the last day.
　Her last words.
　How could I have forgotten? I remember it well. You used to go to .......

"Oh, there you are. Come rub your forehead a little bit.
"Lady Lucia, what the hell are you doing at ......?
Good luck charm. I spell you to make you happy.

　A wrinkled smile. A ring touches my forehead gently with his many hands.
　The next thing I know, I'm unconscious and--

　-- and the next thing you know, it's all over.

　Lady Lucia was executed for plotting treason.
　All the shadow troops were killed as well.
　I was the only slave taken in as a slave by the Maurice Company and saved my life.
　No, I was saved. By Master Lucia.

　My esteemed master.
　My gentle mother.

　That is Lady Lucia. .......

　You can go to .............



".......

　I'm awake.

　Oh, yeah.
　I was brainwashed.

　It all makes sense.

"Ugh. ...... gee-hooo.

　I vomit unbearably.

'Geez!　I don't feel good about this!
"Ugh!

　The bandit man kicked me in the stomach. I slammed into the wall of the room and rolled to the floor. Where am I? Is this the bandit's hideout?

'Hey! Don't hurt my precious merchandise!
I'll be fine. I'll be fine.
Okay, fine. Ha-ha!

　Lowlife.

　I wallow in pain, reminiscing about a distant, dreamlike past.


　All ............ is a convenient fantasy.

　I have only once been petted by Lady Lucia. I had distorted it as if it were an everyday occurrence.

　A gentle smile?　There is only one last time that Lady Lucia has ever smiled at me, and that was at the last moment.

　Is she like my mother?　My mother is the person who turned me, an orphan, into an assassin, and used me as a means to an end?　You haven't forgotten those murderous days, have you?

　Why do you want me to be your slave?　Why did you brainwash him?　Why am I the only one who survived?　Why?　Why?　Why!

'Why!　Why?!

Hey, hey, hey, hey. What's the matter with you?
Have you lost your mind?

　I can't stop crying.

　I am.
　I was.
　No one loved me.
　The only love I ever clung to was a lie.

　What do I do now?
　What to do!

A bite of your tongue would be a problem.
I'll have to bite a little rope to shut him up.
Hey! Open your mouth, baby!

　How do I do this: ......



　　* * *



　Yukari and five bandits walked into the forest hideout.

　There are two guards at the gate. It's unclear how many people were originally inside. There doesn't seem to be a back door.

　I want to settle this before dawn if possible.

　I set up my bow and slowly pulled out my arrow as I turned it on.
　I head to the side of the hideout and adjust it so that the two guards overlap in a straight line.

'............'

　Hesitation is the end.
　The excellent blacksmith's egg that I found, I can't let it go here.

　I'll combine the [Incense Car Archery] and [Guiama Archery].
　The moment I finished preparing to activate it, I released an arrow.

　With a huff of wind, the arrow flew through the first one's head and blew off the second one's neck.

　The two guards fell without even being able to speak. They are definitely dead. I killed them.

　I ran out with great speed to approach the entrance and take a look inside.

Did I just hear something?
Let's go see.

　I heard that conversation.
　I replaced my bow with a sword and stuck to the side of the door with my breath.

　The moment the door opened and the two bandits came out, I cut off one of the bodies diagonally with the 《Silver General Sword Art》 I had prepared.
　With a thud, there was the sound of guts being scattered around.

''Hn, gah!

　As the other one turned around while shouting, I didn't take a moment to cut off his head with my Infantry Swordsmanship.

　Easy.

　I stepped into the hideout with my sword at the ready.
　There are only a few rooms. There was no sign of people in the kitchen and storage room.

　I could hear many voices in the large room at the far end.
　I smashed through the door of the room with my 《King General Sword Art》 at the ready.

What the hell?
Wow!

　The 《Gold General Sword Art》 is an "all-round range attack". The three bandits around me were blown away by the slash and died in a flash, spattering blood.

''Shh, he's dead!''

　With a look of surprise on his face, this guy dies too.

　There were three more bandits.
　Yukari was gagged and rolled on the floor, and one in the vicinity; two of them attacked us with swords at the ready.

　I take two steps backward to the right diagonally while activating the Kakugyo Kenjutsu. The effect is a "quick and powerful penetrating attack". It's the most useful 【Swordplay】 skill in opponents' battles.

　The two bandits were frozen in a straight line like an idiot. The 《Kakuyo Sword Technique】 that he swung out pierced the first one's torso and slashed off the second one's wrist.

''Whoa, whoa!''

　The bandit who lost his hand shouted in panic. Immediately after, I eased him off with the 《Infantry Sword Art》.

''Oi ...... what the hell is this ...... monster?

　The man beside Yukari, probably the head of the bandit, muttered to himself.

　Yukari was lying on the floor looking at me, tears pooling in her eyes.
　There was no longer a hint of caution or hostility in his eyes.
　Alright!　I think we're losing our minds!　For good measure: ......!

Whoa!　Don't move!

　The head-eye pulled out a sword and placed its blade on Yukari's neck. It must have been a hostage.

''Ora, drop that sword!

　I obey obediently. I raise the sword in front of my chest with both hands and poof, I let go.

"Good, and then--

　In the next moment, the 《Fire Attribute, Ichino Type》 smashed into the face of the head-eye, causing it to burst into flames with a bobbing sound.
　He was so distracted by the raised sword that he didn't notice the chanting formation at his feet, he was a complete idiot.

''Gwah!

　The sword deflected from Yukari's neck.

　I used a combination of the Silver General Swordsmanship and the Water Attribute, Sanno-type to finish off the head-eye with the [Demon Sword Technique]. The head eye received a stab from the Sanno type in the chest and its torso was blown off by the water pressure. I was able to extinguish the fire in my face before it could start a fire, killing two birds with one stone.


''Are you okay?''

　After checking for any other bandits, I untied Yukari's rope.

'............'

　There was no dominance.
　He is simply in tears, as if his heart is not in the right place.

"Let's go to ....... The air in here is bad.

　I couldn't find the words to put, so I just said yes and got up.

　Yukari cried and followed me silently.

　Then the morning of the fourth day comes.