Death March — Fixed

“Tek here, ‘Agitators never disappear, no matter the age’--but let alone ages, it even appears in a different world. Well--let’s settle this little problem!”

Staring at the three Beastkin girls, I quickly found the name of their master--luckily it was the same for all three--strangely its not the name of the old priest.

Well then, where is this master?

Right now, since I can’t find all the information with just my Heads-Up-Display, I use one of the special abilities of my map and search for the master by name.

There he is, standing at the edge of the square.

A small man with fox-like eyes, sitting on the edge of a crate and grinning in a slightly perverted way as he watches the stones hit his slaves.

I take a quick look through the information visible on my Heads-Up-Display. The small man’s name is Uusu, he is 39 years old, and his skills are Fraud, Persuasion, and Intimidation--he is also the owner of three slaves: Cat-kin, Dog-kin, and Lizardman.

Hmm, do slaves only show up as their species type, with no name?

Nah, these things don’t matter--I need more information, it’s still not enough.

His Affiliation is: Seryuu City, Lower-Class Citizen; Guild: Brown Rat.

This is what I needed, the name of his Guild--begin search!

There are fifty-two people in the Guild--ten of which are in this square.

Excluding Uusu and his bodyguard, the last eight men are the fake demonstrators standing in the square. I make sure to mark all of the people involved--including the rest of Brown Rap who aren’t here.

Now then, let’s take action!

 

>>Skill: Abstract thought Acquired.

>>Skill: Clandestine Acquired.

 

Since I took so long to act, the Beastkin girls are very shaken by the abuse--I had accidentally overlooked that important information; well, I can’t turn back time--yet.

***

Zena rapidly arrives in front of the old priest.

“Please stop this inhuman conduct!” She shouts at him.

“What’s this, little girl? Are you one of the Demon’s allies?!”

 

“Allies of the Demon are Demons too!”

“Oooo!”

 

Taking the opportunity given by Zena’s interruption, I move quickly--first I have to take out the fakers hiding in the crowd.

“Please do not be deceived! Does the Garleon temple really intend to break the Law of the Kingdom? Why do you spread teachings like those of the Zaikuon temple?” Zena asked, her large green eyes narrowing menacingly.

“What’s wrong with attacking Demon Kin with holy stones?”

What an annoying conversation--the priest is doing what priests do best, shifting the blame away from himself and hiding behind religions and Demons--only Demons actually exist in this world.

Activating Spy, I slip into the crowd, using Evasion and Fighting, slipping noiselessly through the moving bodies.

 

“Oooo!”

“That’s right! Let’s throw stones at that little girl!”

“Oooo!”

 

It seems that Zena used Arrow Ward, to not only protect herself, but the Beastkin girls; some of the people, mostly the agitators, began to throw stones at her as well. As expected of a Magic Soldier in the army.

Now then, while most of the crowd are still hesitant--because they didn’t come to throw rocks at a normal, and beautiful, girl--I move to put the crowd in order.

If a lot of people rush forwards, it would be dangerous even for Zena.

I move beside one of the Brown Rat men who are trying to incite the people who aren’t throwing the stones; I wonder if it’s the effect of some of my skills, but I was able to choose which skill I would use to neutralize him, out of a list that I didn’t even know I knew, and I would also stay hidden from the surrounding people.

With just one attack I neutralize the Brown Rat man--I reach over and snap his neck with a simple movement, and throw his body into a nearby alley--because time is precious.

 

>>Skill: Abduction Acquired.

>>Skill: Assassination Acquired.

 

Hmm, Assassination looks like it could be useful--I probably shouldn’t let them live to cause worse problems further down the line--but I can’t let Zena find out, she would probably hate me for it.

I have to remember to adjust to a new world, not try to live by rules of a world ruled by peace--when in a world ruled by the laws of the jungle, like most fantasy worlds are.

It is strangely easy to kill that man, probably because I hate him for what he is helping the priest to do--maybe because I still haven’t adjusted fully and can’t help but consider this world to be a dream.

I will probably be haunted by my actions tonight--

Both Assassination and Abduction will be useful in this situation, so I will raise them both to their maximum--ten points in each--I will need to make sure Zena won’t find out.

In the center of the square, a priest in a different coloured robe is helping Zena--he is a handsome man who appears to be in his late twenties.

“Equating Demi-Humans with Demons, rather than the Zaikuon temple--you are the only one who says such things!” The priest says, sounding annoyed--I could hear the dislike in his voice when he mentioned the Zaikuon temple.

“Hmm, the philanthropist priest, huh? If you like beasts that much, then after this beating--why not use them however you want--from the front, the back, whatever.” The old priest gave a disgusting grin and winked at the younger man.

Oh great, he seems to be sexual harasser as well--

Zena is turning a deep red, her eyes are wandering.

 

“Kill the Demi-Humans!”

“Oooo!”

“Punishment for the Demon’s Kin!”

 

Rolling my eyes, I decide to leave the dispute on the stage to Zena and her reinforcement--the people have been swept up again, and have stopped throwing stones, drawn into shouting random slogans.

Now it is time to proceed with the extermination of the harmful pests, the Brown Rats. I successfully Assassinate two more people, hiding their bodies in the nearby alley--strangely, since I put in ten skill points, their bodies seem to shimmer and disappear--the other body has done the same thing.

“Do you understand what you are doing? If you keep playing on the people’s anxiety, it could end up in a revolt! Zaikuon temple will probably be blamed, causing fractures between the religious leaders here--” The younger priest begins to shout, placing a hand on the old priest’s bony shoulder.

 

“Kill the Demons!”

“Oooo!”

“Maybe that girl is a Demon in disguise?!”

 

Oh, that last voice didn’t belong to an instigator--the old priest was getting closer to not only have the slaves killed--he wanted to kill Zena, and I could feel an anger building--an anger that I hadn’t felt before.

The extermination is only half complete--the crowd’s shouting has become considerably quieter, but there is a particular guy with an awfully loud voice; while he doesn’t seem to be a part of Brown Rat, let’s mark him anyway--I will check him out after the extermination is complete and the situation is defused.

“Everyone here is also anxious like you are, but that’s not an excuse to torture the weak like a coward!” The younger priest spoke.

“Did you hear that everyone, Garleon temple deems you as evil! He said that everyone here, all who are eager to receive blessings, are evil!” The old man twisted the words of the younger.

 

“Kill the Demon!”

“Oooo!”

“You damn fake priest!”

 

Good, only two instigators remain.

Within four to five seconds I dart between the ordinary people and bring my last two targets down, throwing their quickly vanishing bodies into the alley.

Before I take down Uusu, I arrived in front of the loud-voiced man, to prepare for what will happen next--I quickly take him out, only knocking him out--since he wasn’t part of the Brown Rat Guild.

 

>>Skill: Conspiracy Acquired.

 

“Please just stop this already--no matter how many of you throw stones, I will prevent it!” The younger priest shouted towards the crowd.

“You bastard, do you intent to interfere with these holy actions? Foolish one who goes against God!” The old priest shouted, foaming bubbles dripped from his mouth--but their were only a few responses to him.

 

Even those few voices were disappearing one by one.

 

Of course, anyone not related to the Brown Rat Guild were only knocked out.

I top on Uusu’s shoulder, “It’s your turn now.”

“Wh-who are you, bastard?! Oi, Ban! Crush this bastard!” While surprised, Uusu managed to shout out an order to the big man who used to be standing behind him.

He fell into confusion when he looked back and couldn’t find him, “Ban? Where’s that halfwit gone off to?”

“That big man, Ban, has gone off somewhere with a woman.” I say with an evil grin.

In truth, however, he is currently unconscious in the alley.

I grab Uusu’s arm and twist it, using it to take him from his crate seat and over to the stage.

“Everyone, please disband--if you keep this up, the army will really come! If you are really anxious, then come to the temple of Garleon and I’ll listen to your worries, no matter how many there are!” The younger priest spoke to the small crowd of people.

“You bastard, do you intend to interfere as well?! Fooling one who goes against God!” The old man shouts at him.

Aren’t you both priests?

I throw Uusu into the middle of the crowd of people.

“Oh, Uusu!” The old priest looked at me, “You bastard! What have you done to this pious person who provided the Demi-Humans for this holy event? You apostate!”

“Zena, please use Magic to isolate voices from the slaves?” I turn to her as I ask.

Zena quickly completes her spell.

I relax a little, moving my hand from over Uusu’s mouth.

“Dog, Cat, Lizard! Beat these guys up!” He shouts out a command as soon as I remove my hand from his mouth.

Luckily, the slaves can’t hear his words--but they had been looking this way, and when they saw his lips move but no sound coming out--they tilt their heads and looking confused.

I bend down and pick up a--’holy stone’, and throw it at the the old priest’s solar plexus--causing him to faint because of the overwhelming pain.

“Zena, thank you for waiting. Also, thank you,” After thanking Zena, I nod politely towards the younger priest, “This man here is the owner of the slaves--possibly the ringleader.”

“Ehehe, you’re welcome” Zena nods with a proud giggle, “As expected of you, Tek--You’re not just nimble!”

Your praise is a little strange there, Zena.

“Who are you?” The younger priest asks me.

“I’m here with Zena.” I nod to him, “Zena, if you still have some Magic Power left, could you please cast a spell that can make so that everyone can hear our voices? If such a spell exists--”

“Okay! **** **** *** ***, Wide Area: Whisper Wind!”

“Hmm, that chant was a little different?” I noticed that she had said ‘Wide Area:’ before the trigger word.

“Hmm? Oh yeah, normal spells can have their range extended, but only by a small amount--and it increases the Mana cost.” She smiled proudly, puffing out her rather small--cute--chest.

Tearing my gaze from her, I grab Uusu by the shirt and raise him in the air, “Everyone, can you see this man? He is the man who conspired with the old priest! He lent is slaves to him, helped agitate your worries--and seems to have come up with the idea of selling common stones to sell, to steal your money!”

 

>>Skill: Condemnation Acquired.

 

Most of this was a guess, since I don’t know if it was him or the priest that came up with the ideas--all I knew for sure was that he had supplied the slaves, and that he belonged to the Guild that supplied the agitators.

 

“‘GIVE OUR MONEY BACK!!’”

An especially loud voice booms from the crowd.

 

Then fueled by that voice, a series of shouts of, “Give our money back!” ring out.

 

“Furthermore, these guys have other goals! Not only do they gain a small profit, they use the Zaikuon temple for their true purpose: They want to incite everyone here, and start a revolt! They’re actually the Demon’s worshipers!”

Scamming skills at the max!

The small profit is definitely true--the remaining two however--were completely made up.

In fact, even up until now, I don’t understand this man’s purpose--so I’m trying to shake him up, making him slip up.

 

>>Skill: False Charge Acquired.

 

If his purpose is purely the sale of ‘holy stones’, even if 100 stones are sold, that’s twenty silver coins, which will probably cover the cost of three slaves--my Analysis Skill’s judgement says that all three of them are worth six silver in total, so--they would only have fourteen silver left over.

 

“I will deliver this man to the lord, for the attempted revolution! Old priest, you were simply being deceived by this man, isn’t that right?” The younger priest accused.

 

The old priest’s eyes were swimming, “Ye-Yes, I was deceived. So, he was a Demon worshiper? I-I’m not in the wrong--I was deceived! That’s why I don’t have the slightest causing a revolt against the Earl!”

 

“Yeah, that would be right. So, please give the money back to the people?” The younger priest speaks with a slightly malicious smile lighting his face up.

 

The old priest unwillingly gives the disciples nearby the instruction to give money back. A group of two or three people quickly leave the square after getting their money, a quarrel between some people who didn’t buy any stones and the disciples break out.

 

“Kukukuku--” A creepy laugh rings out, coming from Uusu--who I am still holding up in the air.

 

Did he go crazy, or does he have a plan?

As I push him further away from me, dropping him to the ground--a black hand suddenly swings out, emerging from his back.

Since I was on guard, alerted by his laugh, I was able to dodge the poisonous looking claws; which, on missing me, tore through the old priest.