Akatsuki Translations

Fortress of Canaan, First Floor Corridor

“Ah, what a drag…”

The man, who was of the beast person race, and one of the culprits behind the attack on the Island-Eating Turtle, let out a bored yawn. If he had known how fervently the Satellite City of Aruto wished to drown them in a sea of blood, he might have acted differently. Unfortunately, he had no way of knowing.

He wasn’t present during the attack on the Island-Eating Turtle.

He had been left in charge of their hideout’s defense. So he knew nothing of the details. But, “those who carried out the raid returned safely,” and with a large haul.

In other words, it was a massive victory. It’s only natural to want to celebrate such a triumph. Yet, the boss of the bandits ordered them to be on high alert. It was vexing.

“We even gotta barrier set up by Sensei…” -Beast person Bandit

“Sensei,” the bandit’s “accomplice” and a 【Necromancer】, had used a vast number of magical stones from their spoils to create a barrier. They had cheered when it went up. With this barrier, no matter how many knights from the city came, they couldn’t breach it, or so they thought.

Now, Sensei was secluded deep inside the fortress with a woman, probably engrossed in some terrifying magical research. The anticipation was unbearable.

“But seriously, who would come at this hour? Boss is so overly cautious.” -Beast person Bandit

Of course, it wasn’t that he didn’t understand the enormity of the raid on the Island-Eating Turtle. He might be uneducated, but he grasped the gravity of “the insane thing they did.” Yet, another reason for his nonchalance was the time.

It was nighttime.

The world at night outside the cities is no place for humans. Being exiles and criminals thrust outside the city, they knew better than anyone the dangers of the night. The dazzling light from the barrier illuminated the fortress, but outside, it was pitch black. The chances of being attacked in that darkness were slim.

So, if there was any retaliation from the city, it wouldn’t be now.

This belief wasn’t borne from complacency, but from experience.

Still, the reason the boss set guards was that he was terrified of the fact of the Island-Eating Turtle raid. Even with the formidable barrier Sensei erected, the boss was scared of retaliation.

(So pathetic.)

He mockingly thought of his boss without uttering a word.

“He should just leave everything to “Sensei”.” -Beast person Bandit

The boss had initially opposed the raid on the Island-Eating Turtle. He was the last holdout against Sensei’s plan. But in the end, he was overruled. This showed that the boss had already lost his leadership position.

He couldn’t quite recall when the Necromancer became their ally.

All he knew was that they owed their comfortable lives to him. After being exiled from the city, living in fear of monsters, and resorting to thievery, they faced inevitable death. But the Necromancer, who never slept or rested, was their savior.

“Those damn knights from Aruto won’t stand a chance! Hahaha!!” -Beast person Bandit

Their trust in the Necromancer, bolstered by the raid on the Island-Eating Turtle, had turned into blind faith. Both the man and his companions believed there was nothing the Necromancer couldn’t do.

Perhaps it was because of this blind faith that he didn’t notice the intense light leaking from the collapsed debris behind him until the last moment.

“【Roar】” -Ur

“Wh-?” -Beast person Bandit

As he turned around with a dumbfounded expression, a massive pile of debris, propelled by a tremendous flash of light from the rubble, buried him alive before he could scream.

“We made it.” -Shizuku

“Never thought we’d have to deal with ‘tree roots’.” -Ur

Emerging from the debris were Ur and Shizuku.

They had successfully infiltrated the Fortress of Canaan.

As Diz had predicted, this area had turned into a dungeon, connecting with the bandits’ stronghold underground. The journey wasn’t easy. They had to contend with tree root monsters that had integrated with the dungeon naturally. If the Aruto Knights hadn’t marked the way in advance, it would have taken them much longer. But they managed to get this far.

Inside Canaan Fortress, the state of decay was evident. It was a wonder the fortress’s defenses were still functional. Aging had taken its toll, with light from the barrier outside seeping through the crumbling walls, illuminating the corridors.

Upon closer inspection, there were things resembling the tree roots they had encountered in the underground dungeon. Uru frowned upon seeing them.

“These must be from the 【Evil Spirit Tree】.” -Ur

“They don’t seem to be moving.” -Shizuku

“We should avoid getting too close… So, Diz, what’s the plan now?” -Ur

When Ur turned around, Diz was the last to emerge from the large hole. Clad in scarlet armor, she looked around and exchanged glances with Shizuku.

“Shizuku.” -Diz

“Yes.” -Shizuku

Responding to Diz’s signal, Shizuku nodded and raised the magic tome, 【Footprints in Fresh Snow】 she had obtained in the city of books, Aruto.

“Initiate detection.” -Diz

Then, Shizuku emitted a sound from her throat that was high, faint, and sharp – almost impossible to discern with the ear. To Ur, it sounded momentarily like tinnitus, but it quickly subsided. Shizuku then checked the magic tome she held and nodded.

“Ur-sama. Diz-sama.” -Shizuku

Prompted, everyone peered into the magic tome to confirm what was written inside. Ur scrutinized the contents with a furrowed brow, while Diz looked away after nodding a few seconds later.

“Then, let’s proceed according to the plan.” -Diz

《Nii-tan, don’t die, okay~?》 -Akane

Along with Akane, Diz said this and then literally disappeared from Ur’s sight. It wasn’t a spell or magic; using pure physical technique, she advanced alone deep into the fortress in an instant. Uru caught a fleeting afterimage, but it soon vanished.

Without any time to admire her swift, wind-like movement, Ur too crammed the “contents” of the magic tome into his mind. After a while, both of them looked up.

“Ur-sama. We should also…” -Shizuku

“Yeah.” -Ur

Navigating through a blocked passage, overcoming rubble they had knocked over and the crushed bandit, Ur and Shizuku dashed. They had already extensively discussed and planned their next moves as time allowed. There was no hesitation.

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Turning back the time, at the inn:

“After successfully infiltrating the enemy’s barrier, we’ll split into two groups.” -Diz

Diz spread out a map of the once-intact fortress of Canaan and explained. Ur tilted his head.

“Are we splitting up even with our small number?” -Ur

This time, the bandit subjugation would be carried out by the three of them. They were the only ones capable of recklessly cutting through the city outskirts at midnight. Although it couldn’t be helped under these circumstances, splitting up even further didn’t seem like a wise decision.

“It’s a valid point, but if the three of us act together, you two would probably just end up following me around, which wouldn’t make sense.” -Diz

Diz said with a wry smile.

It was a legitimate concern. The gap in abilities between Diz and the other two was too wide. When grouped together, it was hard to distribute tasks effectively. Everything would end up relying on Diz. Indeed, there was no point in sticking together as three in such a case.

“That’s why I want both of you to work as well. We’ll split the roles.” -Diz

Diz would act alone, targeting the most dangerous target, the necromancer who controlled the skeleton soldiers.

Meanwhile, Ur and the Shizuku would rescue the captured residents of the Island-Eating Turtle.

“If you two have been fighting together ever since Greed, I don’t particularly have any advice regarding your coordination. Apart from that, we’ll cover every detail — expected enemy strength, the state of the enemy’s base, their combat style, tendencies and countermeasures against the skeleton soldiers controlled by the necromancer, and everything else…”

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And so, the strategy was set.

While they considered all possible scenarios, the main flow of the plan remained unchanged. Diz would eliminate the necromancer, while Ur and Shizuku would lead and defeat the bandits, then rescue the hostages. Considering that Ur’s group would be more conspicuous, they also planned for the possibility of the necromancer targeting them.

“If the necromancer does wander over to you, that would actually make things easier. I’ll assassinate him before he poses any danger to you.” -Diz

However, Diz predicted that the necromancer likely wouldn’t show himself. Indeed, as the bandits closed in on Ur’s group, no magic users were spotted.

“Wait! Stop, you damn brats!”

“Over here! Kill ‘em!”

The bandits chasing Ur’s group were three in number. Their mismatched weapons – an axe, a club, and a longsword – and lack of proper armor made them look so ill-equipped that one might question if they were really the bandits who attacked the Island-Eating Turtle.

“Three pursuers from behind, all equipped for close combat. No mages spotted. No armor.” -Ur

“Take the next passage to the right.” -Shizuku

On the other hand, Ur and Shizuku were running away, all as a diversion for the bandits. They were darting about inside the fortress, which could be considered the enemy’s stronghold. It would normally be a significant oversight to run around in a place where they had no idea of the terrain, especially while trying to evade its inhabitants. However, for now, they were managing to keep up the chase.

The reason for this was their prior reconnaissance of the fortress and thorough knowledge of its layout. And…

“The passage ahead is straight. Part of it has collapsed, so the right side is not usable.” -Shizuku

“Understood.” -Ur

The effect of the tome “Footprints in Fresh Snow” that Shizuku was using played a significant role. This magic tome, which records a map of any perceived location, would ordinarily be considered “somewhat convenient”. But after defeating the crystal golem and acquiring extraordinary hearing abilities, when Shizuku used this book, it demonstrated a powerful effect.

That is, instant mapping of the entire area reached by her “voice”.

It seems that the “perception” of the “footprints” didn’t necessarily need to be visual. When she released her voice and heard its echo, that information would be visually recorded in the tome. Using this method, Ur and the others instantly obtained detailed information about the fortress’s layout.

Thus, they had the advantage of knowing the geography. The enemies were desperate to chase them, as they couldn’t allow intruders in their territory. The decoy plan was working. They would occasionally draw the enemies closer, then consult the grimoire and continue to find escape routes. It was a repeated process.

And…

“The distance has increased from the three pursuers behind. No one in sight from the front.” -Shizuku

“We’ll be out of their sight at the next turn.” -UR

“Okay.” -Shizuku

Ur and Shizuku then accelerated, pushing their speed to its limits.

“Damn it! They’re getting away! Get ‘em!” -Bandit

“What the hell are they?!” -Bandit

Even though Ur and his group had spent nearly every day for a month in the dungeon, defeating the crystal golem, and significantly enhancing their physical abilities, there wasn’t much difference in physical prowess between them and the bandits, who had been fending off monsters outside the city and naturally training their bodies.

Yet the reason the bandits couldn’t catch up to Ur and Shizuku in a simple chase was because they had stocked up on and were using running-enhancing magical items called “Winged Feet” and body-enhancing magic potions. All of these were disposable items. They weren’t particularly cost-effective, but they were purchased.

— We can’t do reconnaissance, we don’t have time to train, we don’t have extra hands. The only resource we can expend in place of these is money —

Therefore, this time, Ur and his group spent money on equipment and stocked up on disposable items. The consumables were carried by Diz, but they owned their equipment. They didn’t skimp on spending at all. They each equipped two Anti-Impact Amulets and also purchased about two other disposable magic tomes besides the “Footprints”.

As a result, their current funds were nearly depleted.

Ur once again thought that adventurers who could blow a few years’ worth of living expenses in an instant must really be out of their minds.

“Ur-sama.” -Shizuku

“Yeah, I’m good.” -Ur

The moment they had distanced themselves, Ur turned back. In his right hand was a fragment of the crumbled fortress wall, roughly the size of a child’s head. Using his “Hawk’s Talons,” he grabbed it and, the moment he spotted the men emerging from the passage, he swung it and let it fly.

“Hmph.” -Ur

The large chunk of stone hit one of the men with a horrifying force.

“Guhaaa!?” -Bandit

With a loud thud, the man who was hit directly rolled backward. The two remaining men, shocked by the sudden turn of events, flushed red with anger and yelled at Ur and his companion.

“You bas–” -Bandit

Before he could finish, his face was struck by another chunk of debris. Blood splattered from his head as he fell to the ground. The last man was hit simultaneously by a fire spell and met the same fate, charred to a crisp.

“In a narrow passage, when the enemy is charging straight at us, there’s no need to aim.” -Ur

Ur was satisfied with the “Hawk’s Talons” being used in real combat for the first time. He wasn’t confident in aiming if the enemy moved in all directions, but if they couldn’t move, it was easy. This was probably one of the improvisations Diz had mentioned.

To master a technique, one needs talent or training. But if you lack both talent and time to train, you must compensate with creativity and innovation. Ur etched this realization into his heart.

“There are two more approaching from the back passage. They’re moving slowly, probably being cautious.” -Shizuku

“Then, let’s go back to the junction, turn left, and use the three we’ve taken down as bait.” -Ur

“Understood.” -Shizuku

Ur gave instructions to Shizuku and they retreated for a moment. The focus now wasn’t exploration. It was to lure the bandits, use the fallen as bait, and assist Diz. They changed their objective and moved. Along the way, they saw the three men they had just taken down lying on the ground.

One was charred by Shizuku’s magic and wasn’t moving at all. Another had his head cracked open by debris and was equally still. The last man, the one initially hit in the abdomen, was twitching, foaming at the mouth, and glaring at them with hate-filled eyes.

“Y-y-you… little cun-.” -Bandit

Before he could finish, Ur thrust his Dragon Fang Cannon directly into the man’s heart. The hate-filled eyes of the man seemed shocked for a moment, and then he slumped over.

He was dead. Ur had taken the lives of the bandits. He had killed them.

“―――How are you?” -Shizuku

Shizuku inquired. This wasn’t a question out of concern, but a check on Ur’s condition. A verification of his “functionality.” Killing monsters felt different from piercing human flesh and killing. Ur felt the sensation through the handle of his Dragon Fang Cannon and checked his own state.

And he was certain.

“I’m fine.” -Ur

But,

“It’s not pleasant.” -Ur

“Agreed. I don’t think so either.” -Shizuku

Shizuku’s expression also looked pained. However, she remained firm, showing no signs of becoming hesitant.

They both understood they could keep going, and nodded in agreement.

“Shall we?” -Ur

“Yes.” -Shizuku

Ur entered a side passage, distancing himself once more, preparing to kill the incoming bandits.