The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 102

Chapter 102: Confrontation

We forcefully pushed open the door at the exit of the hidden passage.

Exiting while checking our surroundings, I offered a hand to Aria and the others who followed. Once everyone was out, I signaled quietly in a certain direction.

We emerged in a corner of the courtyard, and in the center of the indicated area, there was an object resembling a mound of scrap metal.

“Is that a monster…?”

“At least it wasn’t here when I came last time.”

“…Regardless, there’s no need to disturb it intentionally.”

Nodding at Ganza’s words, we moved along the wall. Although we were cautious while moving with everyone, the overwhelming silence gave a sense of unease.

“Watch out! Above!”

As I shouted, a swarm of insects attacked. Aria leaped, and simultaneously, Serena deployed a barrier.

Aria, who plunged into the center of the swarm, swung her Rusq Dite while rotating. The flames generated from the blade quickly spread, incinerating the insects.

Starting with the insects, monsters appeared on the roof of the mansion. However, despite barking and making noises, they didn’t rush towards us.

“Well, the ability to rebuild the kingdom’s army, which was on the brink of collapse… truly splendid.”

A frivolous voice accompanied by applause echoed in the area. The monsters even ceased their cries. When we looked in the direction of the voice, there stood Bakuras and an individual with a black hood covering their face up to the eyes.

“…You’re Fifths?”

“Indeed… I am the humble merchant, Fifths. It’s an honor to meet the renowned Black Storm Knight.”

As Fifths introduced himself, Ganza, holding Zamma, seemed on the verge of attacking, but he restrained himself. In this situation, surrounded as we were, there was a high chance that they could release the monsters while we were distracted.

Ganza likely reached that conclusion, and with gritted teeth, he stood ready to swing Zamma at any moment.

Facing Fifths along with everyone, Ganza asked,

“…What is your purpose? What were you doing in this country?”

“The purpose shall remain a trade secret… As for what I was doing, you can see it for yourself. It’s an experiment.”

“An experiment?”

“Yes, to test the performance of this ‘key’ I created… I needed more samples to evaluate its capabilities. Fortunately, there were many willing participants in this country.”

With an intentionally exaggerated smile, Fifths expressed his gratitude. The malice clinging to his words made me feel uncomfortable.

“Just for that, did you incite the nobles to rebellion?”

“What of it? A merchant must handle both supply and demand. Besides, they made the final decision themselves; I didn’t force them in any way. Except for those present here, of course.”

…As expected, I knew this guy was no good. Everything about him, from values to everything else, was too different from ours.

It felt like talking to a completely different species, even though he had a human form. No matter how many words I used, he wouldn’t change at all.

“Enough of this. I’ve recognized that you’re an unpleasant person.”

“Quite harsh… Well, there’s only one thing left to do after this, isn’t there?”

Saying that, Fifths took out a black staff and thrust it into the ground.

“Shall we settle this with force?”

The monsters all attacked at once…