Chapter 148


    Translator: Lizz


    Proofreader: Xemul


    Loren had heard the stories, but had never witnessed it himself . That was why he hadn’t been able to call up the memory right away .


    He knew that it was already too late to say ‘Run!’, but he did anyway .


    “Run!”


    Loren didn’t know if the adventurers facing Tizona realized that it was directed at them or not . Because the moment he had recalled Tizona’s identity and shouted out the warning to them, he had also picked Lapis up and ran away .


    Gula also had set off after them just one moment later, and at almost the same time, Tizona had opened her mouth .


    “Burn . Ashes to ashes . Trashes to ashes . ”


    The words were spoken as if sung . As soon as they left her mouth, the adventurers burst into flames .


    The red flames enveloped their whole bodies and, without a single scream or a single whiff of smoke or smell of burning flesh, the adventurers became piles of ash in the blink of an eye . Despite how violent the flames were, it didn’t spread .


    The massacre was over too soon, and it had happened so seamlessly that no one was able to utter anything . Those presented could only turn their gazes towards the piles of ash lying on the floor .


    The sole perpetrator, Tizona, slowly lowered her arms and looked around . After confirming that no one had anything to say, she slowly walked towards the wall, where Loren had escaped to with Lapis . Her expression was so indifferent that it was impossible to imagine she had just burned several people to death .


    “You seem to know about me, don’t you?”


    Tizona was coming closer and closer with a clacking of heels, and Loren found himself unable to answer her . He had the experience of imagining scenes after hearing stories about this before, but it was probably the first time that he saw the actual scene . It was so shocking that he was at a loss for words .


    “Wha… what was just now?”


    Gula, who had run to the wall like Loren, asked with dumbfounded words . Hearing her questions, Loren’s stiffened lips finally moved to say the following:


    “Hellfire Sword”


    “That means you know me, don’t you? I also feel like I know you . Maybe we’ve met somewhere before?”


    “I don’t know . At least, this should be the first time I’ve met you . ”


    “Then maybe it was on a battlefield . In that case, it’s very likely that only I saw you… Have you always used that greatsword?”


    Tizona glanced at the greatsword on Loren’s back and asked .


    Loren had used a similar sword during his mercenary days, but it had been a very ordinary steel sword, not entirely black like this one . That sword broke when he became an adventurer, so he bought this one as a replacement as per Lapis’ advice . Loren suspected that this sword was the reason why Tizona felt like she had met him before .


    “No, I’ve just bought this one recently . The sword I used to use was… broken . ”


    “Was it similar to this one? A steel greatsword?”


    “Yeah, you can say so . ”


    Loren had considered lying, but he wasn’t sure what Tizona would do if she knew she had been lied to . Rather than taking that risk, he believed it was better to just tell the truth .


    “Is that so? Are you the mercenary called ‘Decapitating Wind’?”


    “No, I’m not . Isn’t he the one said to be able to turn the tide of a battle by himself, and thus have a nickname, just like you? I’m not such a big shot . ”


    It felt like Loren already had a similar conversation before . Still being carried by Loren, Lapis watched him and Tizona . Loren looked very earnest, his face saying ‘I’m not lying’ . Meanwhile, Tizona nodded multiple times as if she was satisfied .


    “You really are ‘Decapitating Wind’ . What are you doing here? I heard the mercenary company you belonged to was annihilated . Did you quit working as a mercenary?”


    “That’s why I said I’m not him . My company was indeed annihilated, and I did quit being a mercenary, but I don’t have a nickname . I was just an ordinary mercenary . ”


    Loren kept insisting that it was not him . But Tizona already made conclusion and looked at him with an expression of understanding his need to deny the ‘truth’ .


    “Uhm, excuse me, but is it alright for me to say something?”


    Feeling that the conversation was going nowhere, Lapis timidly said to Tizona from within Loren’s arms .


    It seemed like Tizona hadn’t noticed Lapis’ existence until then . She turned towards her and nodded after a brief consideration .


    “If Loren keeps insisting that he is not that mercenary, then maybe there really is some misunderstanding here?”


    “That’s right… But he really is ‘Decapitating Wind’ . I have no doubt about it . ”


    Tizona said with such confidence that Lapis wondered if it really was the truth . Loren didn’t look like he was lying, but it was possible that he himself didn’t know . Whatever the truth was, there was something Lapis felt like she had to say .


    “Anyway, I’m not saying that those adventurers weren’t at fault since they did take up arms themselves, but I can’t help but think that there will be a lot of trouble if you kill people that easily . ”


    Hearing Lapis’ words, Tizona’s face stiffened at once . Just as Loren realized that she had killed them without much thought about consequences, Tizona turned her eyes towards the piles of ash on the floor and murmured:


    “Is that bad?”


    “Well, for adventurers, there’s a term about killing someone during quarrels… I myself did get quite serious in quarrels sometimes, but to kill others is… Have you done that, Loren?”


    “I haven’t . Probably . ”


    Loren recalled having done rather terrible things during quarrels, like hurling his opponents away or strangling them . They might be unable to recover, but they probably hadn’t died, or so he thought .


    “But I’m not an adventurer . ”


    If Tizona really was Hellfire Sword as Loren said, then she was a mercenary and not an adventurer . What Lapis had mentioned only applied for quarrels between adventurers; no one here knew what it would be like for quarrels with non-adventurers .


    “In that case, would you mind coming with me? I’d like to have a talk with you . ”


    It was Ivy who suddenly cut in . The receptionist had a smile on her face, but her aura was terrifying somehow . She was keeping a tight hold on Tizona’s shoulder from behind .


    Meanwhile, Tizona, who could easily resist Ivy if she wanted to, looked to have frozen . She looked towards Loren for help, but he immediately averted his eyes . Getting involved with Tizona or Ivy? Thanks, but no thanks . Loren didn’t want to get involved with either of them .


    “Well then, let us go to the back . It won’t take too much of your time; it’ll end quickly and it won’t be painful at all, so please follow me obediently . ”


    “Follow you? Wait, Decapitating Wind! Help a fellow mercenary, will you?! Wait!”


    “But didn’t I tell you?”


    Tizona hadn’t lost a fight here, but she was letting Ivy drag her away by the shoulder . Lapis’ face indicated very clearly that she didn’t want to get involved, and Loren’s answer was very blunt:


    “I don’t know you . I’ve already told you, I’m not the mercenary called ‘Decapitating Wind’, and I only know the name of ‘Hellfire Sword’ by rumors . ”


    Lapis felt like Loren wasn’t lying or trying to trick Tizona . She couldn’t tell if Tizona had told the truth or not, but rather than reflecting on it, distance themselves from her was a higher priority .


    “Well then, let’s pretend that we didn’t see anything here . First of all, let’s look for some jobs to pay for Gula’s food expenses, shall we? Otherwise, at this rate we’ll end up on the street . ”


    “Does she really eat that much…?”


    Loren looked dazed at Gula, to which she shyly scratched her head .


    “Eh, there was a long period when I couldn’t eat anything, you know? And right after that I was eating a lot of strange stuff… So to stop eating an ordinary meal for a change became irresistible”


    “I know how you feel, but it’s still no excuse to make us go bankrupt . ”


    “I know it’s rare, but it’ll be nice if we can find some high-paying jobs . It’s even better if Gula can take them on her own . ”


    “Lapis-chan, that’s too cruel…”


    Gula began to butter up Lapis, who had just told her to earn the money for her food herself . Loren, who had never heard of any parties getting bankrupt due to food expenses, began to thoroughly investigate the jobs still left at the reception . The Tizona incident had completely vanished from his mind .


    In the end, they couldn’t find any jobs with decent pay that day, so they decided to return to their inn and come back later for a fresh start . But the next day, when they came back only to have Ivy suddenly drag them into a backroom, and Loren was reminded of Tizona once more .