NOVEL NEXT Chapter 14 - Chapter 14: Carelessness
Chapter 14: Carelessness
“I overslept! Wake up, Kuro!”
“Gyaaa?”
The sun was already high in the sky. I messed up. I started to worry if I could make it back to Triangular Rock by the end of today… When I think about it, there’s a good chance I could get lost… It’s worrisome. While traveling, I’ve been jotting down everything that catches my eye. But still, the scenery looks completely different on the way back…
In the end, with no time to spare, I gave up on exploring the market and went to beg at the Menas Caravan. Even though I couldn’t meet Menas as usual, their selection was top-notch, and I quickly got what I needed. I bought bread and some mysterious soup that looked like something I could easily get from a stall. I wrapped the bread in cloth and put it in my bag, and I quickly gulped down the soup. I gave the same to Kuro, who was twisting his head while eating. It’s not great, but it’s not terrible either… Am I spoiling him too much?
Though the late start made things a bit messy, I managed to leave the city by late morning. I guess I can say I successfully completed my first exploration of a city. Now all that’s left is to walk tirelessly.
However, as soon as I left the city, I was attacked.
“Stop! Don’t move! Don’t speak!”
I completely let my guard down. Getting home is going to be tough. At least three men surrounded me: two in front, one behind. The two in front had a machete and a club each, while the one behind had a club. No matter how strong my firepower is, I can’t use it effectively when I’m surrounded. This is bad.
“Drop your belongings. Move slowly! …And that little demon’s belongings too.”
“Gyau? …Gya!”
Kuro was kicked and rolled over. As he fell face down, he tried to hold on to his backpack to prevent them from taking it off forcefully, but as a result, he was dragged along the ground.
“Wait a minute! I’ll give you Kuro’s backpack! Just wait… I’ll do as you say!”
“Don’t waste your breath! …And don’t move from that spot!”
I tried to adjust my position to attack with Pink, but before I could, I was struck with a club and kicked in the stomach, knocking me down.
“Ugh… It hurts… I-I got it.”
If I make another strange move, I might be killed. The bleeding from my head won’t stop. I’m getting lightheaded.
“Get up right where you are!”
“I got it! I’ll get up now!”
Although I said that, I couldn’t get up properly. My hands were shaking. I inadvertently crouched down.
“Hurry up!”
Suddenly, I remembered. These guys were the ones who were following me in the city earlier. I’ve been targeted all along… I feel pathetic for being unable to do anything.
“I-I can’t get up properly…”
I might be killed here. Even if I could just kill one of them… I can’t think of anything to do. I should have anticipated this. I was completely careless. That’s always how I am. I should have had some kind of weapon on me. I was too confident that Pink would be enough. If only I had run away with all my might from the beginning, there might have still been a chance. But it’s too late now.
“What the hell are you doing!”
“Stop it! Don’t come near… I’ll kill you! Stay away from me!”
As the two men in front suddenly panicked, a black shadow leaped over my head and clung to the face of the man with the club.
“Aaargh! It hurts! Ugh…”
“W-What the hell is happening!”
In a moment of confusion, it wasn’t clear what was happening, but it seemed like Kuro had attacked. The man with the club screamed as blood spurted from his face. It seemed that Kuro was still clinging to him while stabbing him in the eyes with the knife I had given him earlier.
“Aaaargh!”
“Gyaaah!”
The man with both eyes stabbed fell to the ground. Kuro continued to stab him in the face without hesitation. The situation in front of me was too gruesome, and I felt dizzy from the blood flowing from my head. I feel like I’m going to vomit the soup I just ate. The man with the machete was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained his composure and readied his machete, waiting for an opportunity. At this rate, Kuro is also in danger.
Gritting my teeth so hard it hurt, I forced myself to stand up with determination. When I looked back, there was a corpse with a smashed neck, blood flowing in abundance… Did Kuro do that too? Alright, no one else seems to be coming out… The target is small, but… at this distance, it should work.
“Hey!! Can you just leave me alone over here?”
“I told you not to move!”
“You told me to stand up, didn’t you?”
Successfully pinned down. Alright—–
“Pink, incinerate that guy.”
As soon as I said that, Pink slid out smoothly from my pocket and faced the machete-wielding man, opening its mouth.
“W-What’s tha—”
A thin white light was drawn into the chest of the man, who looked puzzled. And in the next moment, the light enveloped him, erasing him without a trace. I checked the situation with my dizzy head. There don’t seem to be any other attackers. Kuro was just stabbing the neck of the completely silent man with a knife, finishing him off.
That was intense…
“Gyaaah! Gyaaah!”
“Hey, Kuro, are you alright?”
“Gyaaa!”
It’s too scary to have a completely bloodied little demon with a knife running towards me. When he saw me bleeding from my head, he suddenly started to panic.
“Gyau? Gyauu gyau gyau!”
He’s trying to stop the bleeding somehow, trying to wrap cloth around my head. It’s hard to believe he’s the same guy who was swinging a knife wildly and indulging in acts of cruelty just a moment ago. He’s probably alright. I’m glad to have survived.
“I was really saved by Kuro. Thank you.”
“Gyau gyau gyau!”
After resting for a while sitting down, it seems the bleeding has stopped somehow. It bled a lot, but surprisingly, it seems okay. It still hurts when I move. However, it’s not unbearable pain, and I don’t have a fever. I’m starting to feel calmer mentally.
Now… what to do from here. It feels risky to just go back to the city like this. There’s a possibility that their companions are lying in wait. More than anything, I feel like I want to get back to the hideout as soon as possible… Let’s do our best to walk to Triangular Rock.
“I’m thinking we should just go to Triangular Rock like this, but is Kuro okay?”
“Gyauu.”
Kuro seems unusually tired too. He seems a bit out of it. Well, it’s tough, but let’s walk. Pink is sound asleep too. If we were attacked again now, it would be over.
Despite everything being a mess, we somehow made it to Triangular Rock. I don’t have the energy to make a fire, so I quietly eat the bread wrapped in cloth from my bag. Kuro doesn’t even eat the bread and just lies down, falling asleep immediately. This is the first time this has happened. Is he okay…? I’m worried. But I’m at my limit too. I adjust my head to a position where it won’t touch the wounds, wrap myself in the cloth, and close my eyes. There’s a possibility of facing similar situations if I go back to the city. I need to come up with a plan. Suddenly, I’m feeling anxious about various things. There was a shocking event, and I’m injured, so maybe I’m feeling a bit weak. Honestly, I don’t want to leave the hideout for a while. While thinking about such things, I fell asleep.