It seems soone arrived before us.
Shiron smiled grimly as he examined the body.
This place rarely saw snow-free days throughout the year. If it had been a long-dead body, it would have been buried deep beneath the snow, not jutting out as it did.
Hold this for a mont.
Shiron handed Lucia his longsword. Lucia, with her gaze fixed on the caves entrance, took it.
What are you doing now?
Well, I need to at least guess what those creatures inside are up to.
Although only eleven years old, Shiron had no hesitation in handling a corpse.
As he cleared away the surrounding snow, the figure of a sturdy adult male was revealed.
The man wore a cloth garnt with a leather vest on top. Judging by his wide-soled leather shoes, he seed familiar with the terrain here.
He looks fine from the outside.
Yet, the man lay dead with a look of sheer despair on his face. It seed as if he had died in such agony that he couldnt even close his eyes properly.
However, contrary to his appearance, there was no trace of a blade cut or any sign of physical assault on his clothing.
Sa with his face. It was a clean look without a single bruise and naturally put one on guard.
Could he be a rchant who fell victim to thieves?
I doubt that. If anything, he might have been the thief.
Shiron dismissed Lucias speculation. A thief? Lucia wondered how Shiron ca to such a conclusion.
A thief? A thief that looks so immaculate without a single scar?
Shiron didnt react to Lucias challenge and continued to inspect the body.
Also, a faint scent of alcohol is coming from the cave, and I can hear so muffled voices. If this isnt the carelessly discarded body of a rchant they robbed, what is it?
Look at this.
Shiron opened the corpses mouth using a twig. Lucia noticed the decayed teeth.
The swelling under his chin made suspect, but the state of his mouth is telling. They wouldnt have rotted like this if he took regular care of his teeth. And also,
Shiron examined the mans hands.
No calluses that form from holding a pen often. But, judging by the hardness of his palm, hes soone familiar with blades. The lack of scars probably ans he was pretty skilled.
!
Lucia narrowed her eyes, scanning the surroundings. Perhaps she was looking for any signs of soone hiding. However, only faint signs of presence were felt from the caves direction and nothing else.
I think theres soone inside the cave who managed to kill this guy without leaving a single mark.
So
Lucia thought of various possibilities.
The ability or technique to harm a target without inflicting any physical damage would surely be limited. Poisoning, commanding spirits, telekinesis it might even be a curse. Just thinking about it gave Lucia chills.
Isnt this a highly dangerous situation?
Those who used poisons or curses had always been a troubleso lot, even when she was Kyrie in her previous life. They were fundantally sneaky and vile. Trusting them was out of the question, making them always a tedious lot to deal with.
So, what should one do to take care of them?
-Gulp-
Lucia swallowed hard.
Eliminate them before they employ any of their tricks.
But right now, Lucia couldnt opt for such an approach.
In her current state, it was utterly impossible. No matter how talented she might be as a reincarnator, there were walls called impossibility.
Moreover
She had Shiron with her now.
Shiron, the only one she could call family since her reincarnation. With her current fragile body, there was no way she could protect Shiron and combat those wicked people. The heavy burden weighed her down.
Now is the ti to escape without them noticing.
Lucia felt a surge of strength in her fists.
Her fist? Wasnt she just holding a sword?
Lucia looked up in surprise.
The sword that she had been holding was now in Shirons hand.
Hey. Dont tell , really?
Lucia reached out to take it back, but Shiron evaded her with a slight step back.
Scared?
Shiron gave Lucia a playful smirk. But now was not the ti for jokes. Lucia glared at him sternly.
Dont ss around. Its ti to back off.
No.
I might not know what treasures are inside the cave, but we can always wait for another opportunity.
Not at all.
How about we bring the maids? Theyre strong enough. They might be able to handle whatevers in that cave.
Theres no ti for that.
Suddenly, the boy took Lucias hand and led her towards the cave. Trudge, trudge. There was no hint of hesitation in his step.
Did he lose his nerve? No, rather than that. No ti? What does that an
Normally, she would shake off Shirons hand, but she couldnt resist his will.
For so reason, she felt weak.
Suddenly, Lucia rembered a past mory.
It definitely happened 500 years ago.
Long before the expedition to kill the demon began. It was during the ti she first started wandering with her companions.
-Kill him.
-Yura Do we really have to do this? Hmm? He seems remorseful enough
-Sotis, you have to do things you dont want to.
Yura was weaker than Kyrie at that ti, but Kyrie couldnt defy Yura.
Ugh.
Feeling nauseous, Lucia wondered why such bad mories surfaced at this ti. She closed her mouth tightly and lowered her head.
Lucia blankly stared at Shirons retreating back. A vague feeling intertwined in her mind, making it hazy.
But the warm touch from his hand was easy to recognize. Throughout this, Shiron remained calm.
For the record, I find you scarier than the guy over there.
So, dont worry too much.
What do you an by that
Shirons joke made Lucia chuckle. Perhaps because of that, her tension eased. Her worries drifted away.
For a mont, as she was being dragged along, Lucia wondered if Shiron might be a sorcerer.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of the cave, where light was leaking out. Whether it was out of confidence or just thoughtlessness, there were no guards at the entrance.
Shiron listened carefully. As they approached, the voices from inside grew clearer.
What do you see?
Shiron whispered to Lucia.
See? It just looks like a bunch of thieves celebrating with drinks after a looting spree.
Thats what I thought too.
With a brazen reply and a completely relaxed deanor, Shiron started to stretch. Then he squatted down, eyes focused.
Now what?
What do you an what?.
Shiron responded nonchalantly to Lucia.
We have to kill them all.
Inside the cave, in the distance, they could see a bonfire.
A distance of roughly 20 ters. But nows not the ti. Since theres no guard, we should go deeper and wait for the right mont.
What would happen next?
Without any light to guide them, at worst, they would be running around blindly. However, considering the repulsive sll of alcohol that wafted out, it seed they were heavily intoxicated.
He just needed to give each of them a taste of the blade.
It might be the mont to commit his first murder, but his heart felt calr than expected.
Its thanks to Prients strength.
Shiron thought up to that and nodded his head. Right now, Lucia Prient was beside him. If he hesitated and appeared weak, things would get complicated.
He just needed to act.
Shiron partially closed one eye. His eyes, which would beco accustod to the dark, would give him an advantage over them.
What should I do?
Lucia asked Shiron.
With a dazed expression, she wondered why he hadnt asked or instructed her to do anything.
Should I punch them?
No.
A sharp voice ca through, but Shiron didnt care.
Just stand back and watch.
Its noisy.
A man with a patchy beard rose from the deepest part of the cave.
He was enjoying his sleep when the foolish guards failed to do their one job.
Without even trying, he could hear the sounds clearly and furrowed his brow.
Various screams and noises echoed through the cave.
The man yawned lazily and scratched his thigh.
Hmm.
His sleepy eyes couldnt see the dim light from afar anymore.
Did they get ambushed? Damn, why is today so unlucky?
He lit a lantern with a spark from his fingertips.
As the cave lit up, a boy in armor appeared.
Kid, put that down. Want to talk?
If you stop now, I might spare you.
The man seed completely relaxed, even playful.
The infuriated boy spat on the ground in response.
Youre talking nonsense.
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