Path of villains 1, p.19
Path Of Villains 1, page 19
“Thank you, Lucia. Alright, everyone, let’s prepare for our journey.”
Suddenly, an adventurer approached us.
He had long white hair tied back, green eyes, and wore glasses. His gentle demeanor and tall, slender frame made him stand out. He appeared to be older than me, probably around twenty.
“Yes?”
“I am Raul Fable, a first-class adventurer and tamer who works solo,” the man introduced himself, showing his guild card with a courteous motion.
A solo first-class adventurer from another country, perhaps he had some issues that brought him here.
“Hello, I’m Alfred, the leader of [The Bonds of Unity]. How can I assist you?”
“Simply put, I would like to examine the slime that your priest companion is carrying. It piqued my interest,” Raul said.
“The slime? Why?”
“It’s purely out of curiosity. I noticed it at the guild recently and sensed that it holds an unusual power,” Raul explained.
As a tamer, Raul was skilled in identifying monsters. It seemed he had sensed the anomaly of our slime just from looking.
“What do you think, Shannon?”
“If it’s just an appraisal, I don’t mind,” Shannon replied.
“Then it’s settled. We have other matters to attend to, so please make it quick,” I added.
Raul approached the slime and cast a brief spell. A magical circle appeared momentarily from his palm and then vanished.
“I see… it possesses a unique skill. ‘Absorption Drain,’ which allows it to absorb and convert anything into its own power. That explains the extraordinary strength it has. Fascinating…”
As expected, Raul’s assessment was accurate. A first-class adventurer was indeed impressive. He might be able to answer the questions I had been pondering.
“Mr. Raul, besides the unique skill, the slime has also received powerful buffs from an enchanter. Even though the enchanter has long since parted ways with it, the buffs persist. Do you have any insight into this?”
“That makes sense. This slime has absorbed the buffs through its ‘Absorption Drain’ skill, incorporating them into its own power,” Raul explained.
So, it was due to that ability. The buffs granted by Rogue’s skill, ‘Ability Grant,’ had been absorbed by the slime, preventing them from being revoked even after Rogue’s departure.
No wonder the slime had been so dominant in the city of Tanning. The tentacles resembling an evil deity, which were not in the original story, seemed to be a result of the absorbed buffs and its evolved form.
Raul stepped back from the slime, looking relieved.
“Thank you. This clears up my doubts. I can finally sleep well tonight.”
He had been so troubled by it that he couldn’t sleep.
It seemed he was quite meticulous about his work.
“No, thank you. I’ve been curious myself, so I appreciate your help.”
“Please, take good care of that slime. If we cross paths again, I look forward to it,” Raul said with a light bow before leaving.
Despite his mysterious demeanor, he seemed to have a genuine love for monsters and didn’t appear to be a bad person.
As we were finishing our conversation, the door suddenly burst open with a bang.
Three adventurers rushed in, their faces familiar.
They were members of [The Holy Sword of Heroes]: Doug, the warrior; Saran, the sorceress; and Todd, the healer.
They had once been unremarkable, but thanks to Rogue’s ‘Ability Grant,’ they had been strengthened and promoted to second-class adventurers.
“It’s a disaster! The monster in the underground waterways is a Zaratan! We need to gather first-class adventurers immediately!”
Doug, with a desperate look, implored Lucia.
“You were participating in the quest to defeat the monster in the underground waterways, correct? Are you saying a Zaratan appeared there?” Lucia asked.
“Yes! Hurry up, we can’t handle it!” Doug insisted.
A Zaratan was a giant turtle monster, 15 meters long, with claws that could cut through steel. It had a powerful beak and emitted high-output destructive energy from its mouth. Its shell could withstand both physical and magical attacks.
It was a formidable, high-level monster. Why had it appeared in the underground waterways of the Rumirio Kingdom, which was normally not its habitat?
“Understood. I will issue an emergency recruitment, but have you informed the leader of [The Holy Sword of Heroes]? According to guild regulations, if a party cannot handle a quest, it must be addressed as an emergency,” Lucia said, concerned about the implications of transferring the quest to other adventurers.
That would reflect poorly on Rogue, the leader of [The Holy Sword of Heroes], as it would be seen as a failure of the quest.
“Of course, I reported it to Rogue! But he’s been in a foul mood since last night and is ignoring us!”
Last night? Was it because he lost the sword to me?
“Right now, he’s probably busy with his personal affairs with Executive Larisa! I don’t care!”
“One person has already been killed by the Zaratan! Another is holding it off to help us escape... If things continue like this, she will be in danger!”
It sounded like a serious situation with casualties involved.
Rogue really was a disgrace, sulking and ignoring his team after losing to me. And now he’s neglecting his duties as a leader to indulge in personal matters.
However, none of that was my concern at the moment.
“I see… But currently, all first-class adventurer parties are out on missions. The solo adventurer Raul was here just a moment ago.
“Anyone, please, save Kanade!!!”
“Kanade!?”
Chapter 43: The Crisis of My Favorite Child
Normally, no matter how much trouble I was in, I would have ignored these three.
After all, their names were written in bold on the petition that led to my exile.
I'm not the type to lend a hand to people like that.
But when it involves Kanade, things are different.
I owe Kanade a great deal. Before setting off on my warrior's pilgrimage, I had planned to visit the Holy Sword of the Heroes to recruit her. If she’s in danger, I can't just stand by and do nothing.
“Hey, tell me everything!”
I marched up to them without hesitation.
“Al-Alfred... Captain?”
Doug, Saran, and Todd, the three before me, were clearly startled and confused at my sudden approach. It was a natural reaction, but I didn’t have the time to bother with their emotions.
“I said, explain the situation. Depending on the details, I might take this on myself.”
“You would?”
“But I thought Rogue, the captain, stripped you of your abilities.”
“Still, there have been rumors lately that you’ve regained your power.”
Ugh, these guys are so noisy.
“That doesn’t matter! You said Kanade is in trouble, so I’m listening. Even if we can’t take down that Zaratan, we might be able to save her.”
“Fine, fine… we’ll explain.”
Doug and the others began to explain the situation.
Reports had been coming in for a while about monsters lurking in the capital's underground waterways. At first, a small group of guards went down to investigate, but none of them returned. That’s when the Adventurers' Guild stepped in and took on the mission.
Due to the lack of solid information, only adventurers ranked third class or higher were allowed to participate, so the Holy Sword of the Heroes, known for their large-scale operations, accepted the quest. Doug and his team were selected as second-class adventurers to go along with Kanade.
“At first, it wasn’t just us and Kanade. The thief, Gain, was with us, too. But he was killed instantly when the Zaratan ambushed us. None of us could have imagined a monster that size lurking in the sewers.
“I don’t know why, but it must’ve grown by feeding on the guards or other creatures down there,” Saran added.
“As we were paralyzed with fear, Kanade stepped forward and said, ‘I’ll handle this! You all retreat and inform the others of what’s happening!’ She saved us.”
That sounds just like her—a true samurai girl through and through.
From what I’ve heard, Kanade rejected Rogue’s Grant ability, which allows him to enhance others' stats, choosing to rely on her own strength. Even so, she’s a third-class adventurer as a fencer, so that alone speaks to her prowess.
“I understand the situation. We’ll have The Bonds of Unity take over this quest. However, our priority will be to rescue Kanade. We won’t push ourselves to take down the Zaratan—Lucia, is that acceptable?”
“Of course, Alfred. I’ll also make sure to gather first-class adventurers to assist.”
I nodded, then turned to my team.
“This is now an urgent quest. Will everyone cooperate?”
The entire party nodded in agreement.
“Captain... no, Alfred, please, take care of Kanade.”
Doug and the others bowed their heads.
Even though they were technically higher-ranking adventurers than me now, I could tell they still respected me as their former leader.
“I know. But why is Kanade even on this quest? I heard that because she refused Rogue, she was being forced to do nothing but menial tasks.”
“Well, there’s been some friction between her and Captain Rogue... She won’t talk about it, but rumors are going around that he tried to make romantic advances on her.”
“What?!”
“Of course, she turned him down... and she’s been planning to leave the guild for a while. But Rogue is infatuated with her and didn’t want her to quit, so he forced her onto this quest.”
“We had also decided that after this mission, we would leave with her. Even Gain, the thief who died, had made up his mind. We all wanted to follow Kanade and leave the guild.”
I see... so there were at least a few who were moved by Kanade’s words and decided to change.
Her efforts weren’t in vain, after all.
As for Rogue, he’s become a complete mess, obsessed with power and women. Even though I, Alfred, used to be a piece of garbage myself, at least I led the party properly and never abandoned a quest.
Now that I think about it, the protagonist of the original story, Rogue, was always so self-centered despite being admired by those around him. He avoided responsibilities and constantly complained, always with that “Can’t be helped” attitude, or carelessly trampling on others’ pride with remarks like “This is basic stuff, right?”
The readers who related to him would fawn over him with praise, saying, “Wow, Rogue, you’re so cool!”
But as someone who had to constantly consider others’ feelings in my previous life as an overworked office drone, I often found myself thinking, “This guy doesn’t know how the world works.” I even left comments like, “The protagonist lacks common sense and personality” on the forums.
Of course, my words were ignored by the author, Tanaka Daichi.
“Alright—let’s go, everyone!”
With that, our entire Bonds of Unity party left the Adventurers' Guild at once.
A Few Days Ago
“Kanade, aren’t you tired of doing all those boring menial tasks? If you become my woman, I’ll give you proper quests and buff you with my Grant ability. You’ve got that long, beautiful black hair like mine—we’d be perfect together.”
Rogue, the captain of the Holy Sword of the Heroes, had been trying to woo Kanade for some time now.
Kanade, the beautiful Fencer with an air of elegance and clad in her traditional Eastern attire, had clearly captivated Rogue’s heart.
“Captain, I must decline. I cannot betray my own swordsmanship. Buffs may not be cheating, but allowing someone else to enhance me without my consent is a disgrace to a warrior.”
“Come on, everyone else was happy to receive it. I bet the Holy Sword of the Heroes can’t live without me now. Hahaha…”
“Then it’s no different from being addicted to drugs! I refuse, Captain, and that’s final!”
Kanade rejected him firmly, and Rogue, with a “Tch, whatever,” left the room.
For all his underhandedness and womanizing, at least he wasn’t the type to force himself on her physically.
Kanade’s unwavering stance had held up until just the other day when everything changed.
A quest came in to exterminate the monsters lurking in the capital’s sewers.
“Kanade, you’ll be joining Doug and the others on this quest tomorrow morning!”
Rogue’s voice was unusually harsh. It was clear he was still bitter about losing to Alfred in the Holy Sword competition, and the stress had been piling up ever since.
“This is quite sudden... may I ask for the reason?”
“There’s no reason! I’m the captain, and I said so! Now get going!”
“…Understood.”
Kanade didn’t argue, though she knew the real reason.
The fact that Doug and the others were chosen for this mission was because of her influence.
They had begun to follow her lead, questioning Rogue’s methods, and even started planning to leave the guild with her.
It must have reached Rogue’s ears.
While not exactly traitors, they were marked for punishment, sent on this quest as a show of power.
(But I will never abandon my comrades. Just like Alfred and Shannon never abandoned me...
Kanade resolved that this quest would be her last. Afterward, she would leave the guild.
Little did she know, however, that the monster lurking in the sewers was the infamous Zaratan.
Chapter 44: The Battle with the Giant Turtle
Beneath the royal capital, there lies a vast underground waterway.
The tunnel, 6 meters in diameter, would seem spacious to a person. However, for a colossal monster, especially one like the 15-meter-long Zaratan, the space felt cramped.
The giant turtle Zaratan had made its home in a flood prevention channel, lurking 50 meters underground. With no passage large enough for its massive body to enter or leave, one could only assume it had grown and evolved within that confined space.
But why was a creature of the open sea, one that had never been touched by man, hiding in these murky underground channels?
...I remember now. I’ve seen this scenario before.
Yes, this was part of the original storyline I once read.
It happened after Alfred fled back to the capital following the attack on Tanning. He was accused by King Freyt of abandoning Prince Hans and failing his quest, and even lost the ability to wield the Holy Sword of Heroes. With his reputation in tatters, the knights under his command began to desert him one by one.
In an attempt to redeem himself, Alfred accepted a quest to investigate this very waterway.
He led the remaining knights into the depths, only to find themselves facing none other than the Zaratan. The battle was brutal, and Alfred’s group was soon overwhelmed, with many of his comrades falling to the monster. One of them was Kanade, who lost her arm when Zaratan bit it off, forcing her to retire from the story.
Alfred and his companions barely escaped, failing the quest. The Heroes’ Sword Order was ultimately dissolved after this event.
In true fashion, the protagonist, Rogue, later took over the quest, nonchalantly using the heroine, Shizuku, as bait to lure Zaratan, then defeating it in a single blow.
"Zaratan was left here decades ago by an unscrupulous merchant who accidentally dropped it into the sewers. Over time, it grew by feeding on rats and other creatures, and eventually, by devouring the guards, it became the monstrous threat it is today."
"Alf, how do you know all this?"
Gaizen and Shannon both looked at me, puzzled.
"Oh, it's just a guess, really. Pearl, can you light the way?"
I couldn't exactly say it was because I’d read the original story.
“Got it—Ring of Light!”
With Pearl’s magic, a glowing ring of light appeared, illuminating the area and following our movements as we advanced.
“Shizuku, stay alert with your heightened senses. Listen and smell for anything unusual.”
“Understood, master.”
“Alf, should I scout ahead?”
The fairy, Pico, whispered in my ear as she sat on my shoulder.
“No, we know what we’re up against. It’s too dangerous to go alone.”
“Hehe, so considerate! You really are the best boyfriend.”
When did I ever become her boyfriend? This fairy never had such delusional traits before.
We hurried along the maze-like waterway. There didn’t seem to be any other monsters around, only the occasional rat scurrying away.
“The monster’s scent is getting stronger. It’s close,” Shizuku reported.
We were nearing Zaratan’s lair.
“Shizuku, do you smell any humans nearby?”
“Yes, I do... but I also smell blood.”
“Damn it, we have to move!”
We ran until we reached the destination.
Massive stone pillars, like those of an ancient temple, filled the chamber. Between them stood the monstrous Zaratan, exactly as it appeared in the comic.
Though it had the form of a turtle, its body was lined with sharp claws, and its shell was covered in deadly spikes. Clutched in its beak was a young girl.
"Kanade!?"
There was no mistaking it. It was her. Her right arm had already been bitten off, and blood poured from the wound, staining the water red. Her face was pale, and she hung limp in Zaratan’s grip, unconscious, her fate uncertain.
“Damn it! Maka, Roka, Mika, buff us with your skills!”
Without waiting for a response, I charged forward. Zaratan noticed me, twisting its long neck and fixing its gaze upon me.
“Understood—Trinity Unison!”
The three little enchantress sisters, Maka, Roka, and Mika, activated their unique skill. For five minutes, the entire party’s abilities were tripled, their supportive magic boosting our strength.
