WE TRIED TLs
Is It Bad That the Main Character’s a Roleplayer
Chapter 154 | Unmoving (4)
Deathbringer slipped into the manor with ease. Their security was still lax, as if they’d all but forgotten that a mere brat managed to sneak in here ten years ago, so he had no problems entering whatsoever.
The route to the secret passage was the same. Despite the change in leadership, the locations of the garden and the annex hadn’t changed, so he wouldn’t get lost.
Well, there was one issue, though. A storage shed had been built along the path he originally wanted to take, forcing him to detour through the garden.
However, that wasn’t much of a problem. The garden’s maze-like hedges and numerous flowers and trees provided plenty of cover.
> [Let me commend you. Had you not made this slight mistake, I would never have known.]
However, why did they move the office to the first floor, and why was it connected to the garden?
Moreover, why was someone who looked to be the young lord making inappropriate contact with someone who didn’t seem to be family? Didn’t he have a fiancée?
Was he having an affair? Was he actually having an affair? But his expression looked kind of weird.
> [For a mere mortal, your skills are indeed quite impressive.]
He only peeked his head out slightly to understand this bizarre sight. Yet, the young lord’s (supposed) mistress immediately noticed him.
Vines suddenly grew out of nowhere and pulled him down from the tree he was in to the ground.
That was something only a wizard would be capable of.
However, the problem was that, before entering, he’d used his detection item to confirm that no Arcane Power users were present.
So why did that weird person suddenly pop up? Was she a highly capable wizard who could counter his detection tool?
> [But that’s no reason to let you live—]
“Wait!!”
Anyway, the platinum-haired figure, who looked far from ordinary at a single glance, raised a hand but was stopped by the (supposed) young lord’s intervention.
“J-just a moment, please.”
Then, the (supposed) young lord lowered his gaze, almost pathetically, and smiled.
The platinum-haired figure withdrew her hand and smiled back at him. Her expression, dripping with affection, clearly showed her fondness for the young lord.
> [Why did you stop me?]
“I-it’s just…”
On the other hand, the young lord’s expression was the complete opposite.
Despite seemingly trying to humor her, his expression was stiff. He didn’t appear to be acting of his own volition.
“H-he’s just a mere thief. I will punish him myself, so please don’t concern yourself with him.”
Obviously, the young lord was groveling because of this other person’s power or status.
Who could this person be to make the young lord so subservient? How many people in this world could make even someone of his status act so undignified?
> [But my dear, how can you be sure he is just a thief and not an assassin? After all, your family ascended to this position after the previous lord was assassinated only ten years ago.]
Deathbringer listened to their conversation closely, trying to gauge whether he could escape.
Part of what they said struck a nerve, though. Assassination. Deathbringer’s eyes darkened.
“That’s…”
> [It does not matter whether he is a thief or an assassin; both are equally worthless, so I will take care of him for you.]
However, he was neither a thief nor an assassin.
Although he hadn’t exactly gotten permission to enter, technically making him an intruder, he didn’t intend to steal or harm anyone in this manor. He was just passing through.
Well, those were just excuses, though.
“I-I!”
At that moment, the young lord shouted. Drip. His tears, which had momentarily stopped, rolled down his cheeks once more.
“I’m crying, am I not? Y-you should be comforting me…”
The platinum-haired figure widened her eyes slightly.
> [Oh… You’re right, I got my priorities all mixed up. Of course, you always come first.]
Deathbringer wasn’t entirely sure what he was witnessing, but he truly appreciated the young lord’s efforts to save him.
However, had there really been no other way?
Watching what appeared to be a romantic scene, he felt rather awkward. Pressed for time as he was, he couldn’t hide his dissatisfaction.
Was the young lord being forced to feign affection for this superior being? How pitiful, yet also not. After all, he belonged to the upper class.
The world Deathbringer grew up in required you not only to sell your heart but completely crush it just to survive.
To him, the young lord, while perhaps a bit unfortunate, wasn’t someone to be pitied. At the very least, this person should have enjoyed everything that came with his position until now.
> [Let us just call the guards to handle this…]
Was he still going to be dragged away? Even if he were locked in the deepest dungeons, it still wouldn’t be impossible to escape, but everything was pretty messed up now.
If the priests decided to come to the manor and ask around before he could escape, things would become extremely troublesome.
> […It seems unwanted visitors keep coming one after the other today.]
“…?”
But even if the ground collapsed beneath him, that didn’t necessarily mean he had to fall.
Deathbringer harbored the faintest hope he could potentially escape in the ensuing confusion.
> [God’s soldiers are here.]
Of course, that had to happen. No matter what he did, if the ground collapsed beneath him, it seemed he had no choice but to fall.
“Why is the Temple…?”
Since their visit was completely unplanned—naturally—the young lord was visibly flustered. Even in that moment, a glimmer of hope flickered in his eyes.
> [It looks like they are chasing after something…]
The platinum-haired figure stroked the young lord’s hair, then let out a soft “Ah.”
> [So it is you. You are the reason they came.]
And then her gaze returned to Deathbringer. His body instinctively flinched, faced with eyes like those of a beast. It felt as if a tiger was standing directly before him.
> [By the terms of our agreement, I have let you be, but things are different now that you have caused a great disturbance in my precious garden.]
Agreement?
That word, intriguing him a little, passed through his mind.
> [Seize him immediately—]
As he thought, this situation seemed to be leading to his inevitable capture.
However, the platinum figure abruptly stopped speaking. Her head whipped around as a frown creased her eyebrows, her face filled with utter annoyance.
> [How dare…]
Deathbringer and the young lord, being ordinary people—or almost indistinguishable from such in their own ways—were equally puzzled by whatever happened next.
Bang!
Soon, a corner of the garden came crashing down with a loud noise. The explosion was so powerful that, even from a distance, debris reached both Deathbringer and the young lord.
Fssssh.
Naturally, a dust cloud arose.
> [Are you okay?]
“Y-yes. Thanks to your protection, I’m fine, but…”
Deb quickly brushed the debris from his clothes and looked through the dust cloud. Within it, he could see a dark, inky figure.
And then, as the dust began to settle, a gray much clearer than the inky black became visible, accompanied by even paler skin. He could also see something resembling the color of red wine, also called the blood of God.
> [Hoooh.]
“Ah…”
“That person is…”
Flutter.
The moment the three-pronged coat fluttered like wings in the wind, its owner emerged from the dust.
> [As I thought, trusting Demons was a mistake.]
“Found you.”
Eyes like glowing embers, he drew his sword.
* * *
WE TRIED TLs
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> [I should have just killed you the moment you set foot in this land, despite me giving you two warnings.]
Caught in a daze, I ended up losing him after finally chasing him down.
Blood trickling down my cheek, I finally got a brief explanation from the Inquisitor. Even then, she only said a few words about Deb seemingly having been tainted with Demonic Energy.
Naturally, that explanation was far from enough, so I decided to continue giving chase. The reason I came to the manor was because the priests claimed they sensed Demonic Energy coming from this direction.
Regarding my trespassing, I figured either the Archmage or the Inquisitor would cover for me afterward.
> [Despite your fishy stench and possession of Demonic Energy, I generously let you off, but now you are foolishly running wild without knowing your place?]
But what exactly was going on here?
Clang.
As soon as I landed, I quickly assessed the situation around me, only for the person who’d been extremely close to the young lord to attack me.
“W-wait a moment!”
> [I will not tolerate this any longer.]
Those two had been clinging together so sincerely—she was even wiping away the young lord’s tears—that the thought, “Huh? An affair?” briefly crossed my mind.
Before I could think about it any longer, however, I found myself crossing blades with my current opponent. Technically, I was the only one wielding a sword, whereas my opponent fought with extended, very long claws.
“Hah.”
I could still ignore the comments about trusting Demons and smelling like fish, but when the words “possession of Demonic Energy” left her mouth…
Even amid this whole chaos, she actually managed to throw out some words that I, or rather my character, couldn’t ignore.
“Who are you saying doesn’t know their place?”
So what should I do?
“You beast, reeking like a filthy animal.”
When misunderstandings couldn’t be resolved with words, you had to open the gates to hell and make things worse.
> [How dare a mere mortal insult me!]
“D-don’t!”
Behind them, I saw Deb try to sneak away, take a step back, and then try once more. Deb was definitely my priority, but it seemed I couldn’t bypass this person so easily. It wouldn’t be easy for him to escape, either.
Of course, I could tell various things just by looking at her appearance. I previously considered the young lord the pinnacle of beauty, but this one was no less striking. Her attire and color combination made her appear even flashier.
However, could someone this flashy be just someone passing by?
Moreover, at a closer look, she seemed to lack humanity. This went beyond simple beauty or ugliness; she just didn’t quite seem like a person.
Especially considering she’d just called me a “mere mortal.”
She probably wasn’t one then, right?
Clang.
Once again, our weapons clashed. The problem was that my opponent’s other hand was also a weapon, which she swung instead of the one I’d just blocked.
Her long claws nearly reached my head.
Whoosh.
I stepped back to avoid giving her another chance to hit me, then kicked her in the chest. One scratch on my face was enough.
[…!]
She also managed to evade my kick. However, she seemed fairly humiliated that my foot had almost struck her body. Her lips trembled, revealing long fangs.
“Skyflow Tiger!!”
The loud cry of the young lord echoed through the garden. Skyflow Tiger. If my memory served me right, it was the Primordial Beast supposed to rule over the eastern regions.
“Young Lord, what’s going on?!”
“Young Lord, are you alright—!”
“I-intruder?!”
“It’s dangerous here, Young Lord!”
Wow. So, after the Sea Dragon and the Mountain Lord, I finally got to meet the Skyflow Tiger as well. Was this Boss Fight mandatory for story progression or something? I had to go through this, huh?
“No, you can’t come over here…!”
> [A mere mortal who sold his body to a Demon!]
But wasn’t this timing just too much? I still had unfinished business with Deb! I was already stressed enough trying to figure out why Deb wanted to leave so badly and why he decided to get involved with that Demon!?
Why did I have to come across it now? Couldn’t we postpone this fight a little?
“…Don’t insult me!”
However, ignoring this opponent wouldn’t fit my character in this situation. Besides, it didn’t seem like it would just let me go, either.
I gripped my sword tightly, thinking about how all kinds of troubles kept piling up before me when I was already busy enough.
“Go back!”
In all this chaos, the young lord was desperately trying to make the guards retreat.
“But there are intruders here!”
“Please come this way!”
Unfortunately, the presence of the Skyflow Tiger and me—probably—made that quite difficult. These guards’ sense of duty was strong, alright.
“Young hunter, stay here. Huh? Buddy!!”
To make matters worse, Bers shoved the guards aside and rushed in, adding to the mayhem.
“More intruders are here!”
“Young Lord, you must evacuate!”
“Even if they’re with the Temple, to just barge in here without permission!”
“We’ll remember this incident…!”
Wow, this was so messy, messy, I say. While dealing with the Skyflow Tiger’s continuous attacks, I kept glancing around to understand the situation.
The Skyflow Tiger was pretty fast, but not unbearably so. Its attack patterns were quite simple, making it manageable.
Unlike the other Primordial Beasts, it wasn’t massive enough to cause substantial damage with every move.
Moreover, it seemed unwilling to damage the surroundings, which made it appear as if it wasn’t fighting me seriously. I, too, avoided using Arcane Power to prevent collateral damage, so we were fighting under approximately similar conditions.
Neither side was inflicting much damage on the other. It seemed to be just venting its frustration…
> [You should have just died quietly instead of putting up this useless fight…]
But it seemed to be growing increasingly frustrated by this stalemate.
My opponent’s face contorted further, and its eyes went wide, spewing malice.
Overwhelming energy, possibly its Arcane Power, began to gather before it, whipping the wind all around. Its platinum hair fluttered wildly, almost like a Super Saiyan’s from Dragon Ball.
Additionally, its hands and bare feet, visible through the hems of its fluttering clothes, suddenly grew fur and began resembling those of a beast.
Boom!
Although that was the only change, the ground suddenly started to sink around it as if its weight had also dramatically increased.
> [Now you’ve forced me to use my power.]
And…
> [Die.]
“…!”
“Fall back!”
As it raked its fingers through the air, an illusion of a tiger’s paw suddenly manifested and swiped at me and everything behind me.
While it was a common skill effect, its impact was still immense.
“Uwargh!”
“Argh!”
Thanks to my last-minute use of Arcane Power and not backing down even a little, along with Bers’ frantic efforts to shove the others aside, only two individuals were caught up in this strike.
However, even if it was just two people, the damage caused by this attack wasn’t insignificant.
One person lost an arm, and the other suffered a deep gash from shoulder to hip.
“Skyflow Tiger—!!”
The young lord screamed.
> […!]
The Skyflow Tiger flinched when it heard the young lord. That overwhelming Arcane Power suddenly dissipated. Its body, which had slightly transformed, gradually reverted to the form I’d first seen.
The platinum-haired beauty fluttered its long eyelashes.
> […I showed you something unsightly.]
It seemed a bit embarrassed, but its tone conveyed no guilt whatsoever.
The Skyflow Tiger waved its hand, maintaining its cold and haughty demeanor.
Then, the grass around the injured began to grow. Something sprouted from between the blades of grass, blooming into flowers.
> [Well, this could also be seen as fortunate.]
“How…?”
> [Let us take this opportunity to announce this properly. You belong to only me, Skyflow Tiger.]
“How could this…”
They weren’t just ordinary flowers. As soon as they bloomed, a subtle fragrance spread all around us. The injured, who had been coughing up blood and moaning in pain, now wore much calmer expressions.
Rather than healing their wounds, this seemed more like an anesthetic. This felt far too inadequate to be called first aid, especially since it had caused these injuries in the first place.
> [I am feeling rather conflicted right now, so come back later.]
What was this bastard saying now? After causing all this trouble and picking a proper fight with my character, it wanted us to leave now that it had done what it wanted to?
“Scum.”
Not only had it picked a fight with my character, but it’d also said some things I couldn’t ignore.
Even if I possessed Demonic Energy, wasn’t it a bit strange for it to say it “couldn’t trust Demons”?
Whether it was an accomplice or simply ignoring their actions, it was somehow connected to Demons. I couldn’t just let that slide.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
That said, I channeled Arcane Power into my sword. Black energy gathered around the silver blade, causing it to emit a high-pitched screech. It seemed to have almost reached its limits.
“D-don’t!”
But as long as it didn’t break right away, that would be fine. Ignoring the young lord’s shouts, I swung my sword at it.
A white hand intercepted my blade sheathed in Arcane Power. The impact of my attack wasn’t completely nullified, as blood began to trickle down its hand.
> [Tsk.]
Even so, it still managed to block the attack.
It scowled at me, its eyes filled with murderous intent.
However, it made no further moves, probably because of the young lord behind it.
In the end, the Skyflow Tiger pushed away my blade with a force too great for me to resist.
> [I will let this slide, just this once.]
But so what if it did? Although I couldn’t withstand its incredible strength, my grip on my blade remained firm.
I turned my body to follow my sword as it flew to the side. Using the force of the blow, I spun on my axis once more.
Whoosh!
However, the Skyflow Tiger stepped back before my sword could reach it.
I could have just blasted it with the Arcane Power on my sword, but if it chose to dodge, the aftermath would be…
> [Leave this land immediately—]
“Kuhaha! A strong opponent!”
A boisterous laugh suddenly sounded out alongside a thunderous crash as a giant halberd struck the ground.
The Skyflow Tiger quickly pulled back in a manner it might consider undignified, eyes wide with anger. The spot it’d been standing in moments before had been shattered by that halberd.
“Buddy, I’ll get you back for the prey you stole from Berserk last time.”
Who actually cared about that? I glanced at Bers and moved my hand as if shaking my longsword.
“Get lost.”
“Hmph. Berserk won’t listen to you. I’ll fight.”
Seeing the young lord grab the back of his neck was probably just my imagination.
We stood side by side before the Skyflow Tiger.
> [Insignificant mortals…]
The Skyflow Tiger seemed rather irritated by our actions, its elegant neck bulging with veins. Arcane Power started swirling around it as if it was about to unleash its power again.
“Demon Knight! Berserk!”
However, the situation changed with the arrival of someone new. The Inquisitor, leading a group of priests, was rushing toward us.
And while we were distracted by her, the Skyflow Tiger swiftly waved its hand.
Craaaack!
Just as flowers had grown next to the wounded earlier, enormously thick vines suddenly sprouted. Some were meant to bind us, while others blocked our path.
“Ridiculous…!”
“Oh, what’s this? The grass grew tall all of a sudden.”
Of course, it wasn’t very effective. I simply cut through them with my sword, and Berserk tore them apart with brute strength.
The walls of vines blocking our path were no different. We could break through them even without combining our strength.
“It disappeared…!”
“Huh.”
However, that brief moment was enough for the Skyflow Tiger to escape. It vanished without a single trace. We couldn’t even tell which way it’d gone.
“So, it ended without any further incidents…”
Unlike us, the young lord was fairly relieved, letting out a sigh. However, his expression quickly grew serious again upon noticing the wounded.
“Priests! We have injured here!”
“What?!”
He called out to the priests who’d rushed over first. It was a wise decision since their injuries were severe enough to require Divine Power to heal.
The Inquisitor widened her eyes, then quickly changed direction when she saw the severity of their wounds.
Those who were effectively on the brink of death only barely managed to keep their lives thanks to her touch.
“Tsk.”
It was fortunate they’d survived. However, we’d failed to capture the Skyflow Tiger.
I destroyed the remaining plant walls and checked the situation.
While we hadn’t caught the Skyflow Tiger, someone here might know more about it, so we could just question them. On the other hand, Deb, the one we initially wanted to catch, had escaped while we were confronting the Skyflow Tiger…
“Buddy, where are you going?”
I’d lost track of time somewhat while fighting, but it was clear that more than just a few minutes had passed. However, if we hurried, we might still be able to chase him down.
“Ah. Demon Knight, that… that troublemaker…”
“Right! We need to find the young hunter!”
I looked at the Inquisitor. She’d barely managed to keep her patients alive and had just handed them over to the other priests.
“Which direction?”
“…! That way!”
Alright, over there, then.
I rushed forward, remembering the wound on my cheek that shouldn’t be hurting but somehow still seemed to sting.
I gave up on the idea that it might be better just to let him go, even though getting caught by us could mean his death.
I still hadn’t heard a single thing from the meat dumpling’s mouth.
Even if I eventually decided to let him go, I still needed to hear his reasons first.
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