My body is sufficiently clean, and I've secured both weapons and armor.
"Time to head back to the city."
I can't help but feel a pang of guilt for looting someone's grave, but what else could I do? I needed something to use.
"Why wasn't the body cremated? And why weren't the belongings retrieved by the other members?"
「Are you stupid? That would've drawn the attention of the monsters lurking in the forest.」
"Ah… you're right."
Now, the only problem is that I'm starving, and unfortunately, I haven't found any food yet.
'Next time, I'll have to bring more supplies.'
***
"Guuurrrhggghh."
"Hoeekk."
A liquid is forced into Todou's mouth through a tube descending from the ceiling.
'Someone… please kill me…'
Todou can no longer endure the torture inflicted by the Dooms. Every day, he's pushed beyond his limits, and now he's beginning to lose his sanity.
'I don't care anymore… I just want to die as quickly as possible. I don't care about anything else…'
"Hold it in. If you vomit it out, you won't survive this time. But if you deliberately spit it out, you'll only make your suffering worse," Bulk, the ever-watchful overseer of this hellish training, threatens Todou to keep him in line.
In a short span of time, the infernal training has drastically increased Todou's abilities, but it's also tearing his psyche apart.
"This is a weapon you can only use once, so use it at the right moment."
Todou remains silent, his sharp gaze fixed on Bulk.
"Aaaakkhhhhh!"
*Bzztt.*
"Boss, dodge!!"
"Wait, he's not attacking me."
The lightning arcs around Todou instead, indicating that he's about to turn it on himself.
"Damn it! Restrain him, now!"
Someone immediately pulls out an object and begins chanting an incantation.
[O Nkosi Okan, da mir deine agraba kwindlela führen, et da mo amandla mphamvu hunga errantes regendi.]
*Krrttt.*
Todou instantly writhes in pain, clutching his head and groaning. Soon, his eyes emit a crimson glow.
"This spell is troublesome, but the results are decent," Bulk remarks, his demeanor now calm.
"Not bad for a runaway from the kingdom. You've got a real talent for this, Fenrir," another Witch comments to the one who cast the spell.
"Keep that item safe. It contains an element belonging to the vice-leader."
"You two, keep an eye on Todou. The rest of you, return to your duties."
"Yes, boss!"
With that, everyone leaves Todou's training chamber.
"Boss, aren't you worried Fenrir might betray us? After all, he's originally from the Rodrian Kingdom."
"Relax. That man has nowhere else to go. He'll stay on our side."
***
*Krauk.*
"Aakhh, it's too dry."
I managed to catch a fish to eat, all thanks to Stattlich's idea. I'm grateful for that.
"But is this really okay? We've made the river boil like this."
「Oh, come on, just eat the fish. You should be saying thank you instead of questioning everything.」
All the problems here are resolved. I just need to return to the city and rest.
"Alright, it's time to head back. I'm really looking forward to a comfortable bed."
'Wait a minute…'
「Sorry, that's my fault.」
"Grrrrrr."
Yep, not long after, a growling sound emerges from the bushes.
I immediately prepare to attack with my dagger, waiting for the monster to reveal itself.
*Pats.*
"Over there!"
*Slash.*
I twist my body to gain momentum for the strike, but my attack only manages to slice off the wolf's nose.
"Not bad for a skinny guy, huh?"
「Heh, don't get cocky just because you managed to nick its nose.」
"Well, at least I still made it run away."
'It might be useful for an Assassin, but the embers would just interfere with stealth.'
「It's probably just a remnant of the Grey Wolf pack you fought earlier. If not, you'd better get out of here fast. The longer you stay, the more will come.」
"You're right. They usually travel in packs… I should leave immediately."
Running barefoot through the forest is difficult, especially on uneven terrain.
「Your bag is completely useless. You've only stuffed junk into it.」
"Whose fault is it that all my gear got burned, leaving only scraps of metal?"
「It's your fault for not preparing backups.」
'If you had a physical form, I'd have sliced you by now.'
「I heard that, you know?」
There's some benefit to having Stattlich around. He's a constant companion, though he's also incredibly annoying.
*
"Haaaa… can't we use something to get back to the city?"
'When I traveled to Milson Village during the day, it wasn't this exhausting.'
The city walls are in sight, but the journey and the monsters I've encountered have left me utterly drained.
"Damn it, why do those monsters have to be nocturnal?"
From here, it's open terrain—fewer trees, and the moonlight illuminates the path.
Even though the trip took a day, I ended up resting too much after fighting those monsters.
"But seriously, why were there so many of them earlier?"
「Idiot, it's because the armor you're wearing is covered in bloodstains.」
'Ah!'
Right. One of the Redan members who wore this armor was killed by a Grey Wolf.
'Should I just discard it? The city's close, and I can just use the ring armor.'
I toss it aside and equip the ring armor instead.
'Honestly, it doesn't feel comfortable wearing nothing but this.'
「Buy something decent and fire-resistant once you reach the city.」
"You think my body's going to catch fire when the creature guarding the flame is inside me?"
「If you were a mage, I wouldn't hesitate to burn you.」
*
Well, I've reached the city gates, and there are guards stationed there. I show them my badge and enter without issue.
"I should head to a clothing store first, then visit Kara's place to buy some additional equipment."
'I hope I still have enough money.'
I stop by the nearest clothing store and purchase a few items, then make my way to Kara's shop.
*Krieet.*
"Excuse me," I say as I enter, spotting Kara and her father inside.
"You!" Kara's father approaches, visibly angry with me for some reason.
"Where the hell did you get all these Runes, you bastard!?"