Turns out that the village the two teens lived in is not more than a mere five minutes away from the place they were having their little witchcraft session at. Since they told us that all the books related to magic are in their storeroom, I and the idiot swordsman have followed them all the way to this village. I am kinda not believing their story and doubting that they are planning on escaping from us. That is why I have kept a good eye on them for the whole time. The idiot swordsman, who told me that his name is "Sung Li", has been cheerfully talking about something I haven"t paid attention to but also not bothered to stop him in to not let the two teens realize that I am not falling for their little charade."That is our storeroom." The girl says while pointing to a run-down wooden one-room house next to a comfortably large brick-house. I guess it does look like a storeroom, if nothing else.
"Then let"s go there." The idiot Sung Li cheerfully says.
The two nod and start heading towards it. The idiot follows right after and I stay just a little behind him. I am kinda also wary that the rumors about the whole incident at that town being caused by me would have spread and I might be in some trouble if people see me. Though, to be fair, to them, I and Sung Li might look similar to the point of mistaking us for each other.
With that whole thing in my mind, as I pa.s.s by people, I can"t help but feel suspicious of what they think. Soon, we reach the storeroom and the boy opens its door, which doesn"t seem to have locks. As he opens it, a lot many books can be seen kept inside there. So, like, where they not trying to trick us in any way? No, it"s still too early to drop my guard.
"All the books here are based on witchcraft." The girl says.
"Oh, we don"t need to take every single book, only the ones related to dark magic. They are the ones that could be bad for you." Sung Li says to them like he is talking to a grade-schooler. Having been on this planet for a little while, I can kinda discern the expressions of the girl being that of irritation at that fact.
"Well then, come in." The girl says. Now this is where we might just fall in their trap if we keep doing what they tell us to.
And so, even though Sung Li enters, I don"t. When they look back at me with questioning gazes, I quickly cook something up like, "It has something to do with my beliefs but I can"t step foot in a place where knowledge of mage-craft is stored. Please just bring the books to me! I"ll stay here."
Since Sung Li is an idiot, that little made-up story is enough to convince him as he flashes me a smile and a thumbs up. The other two don"t look very convinced but they don"t say anything either.
Within a mere five minutes, I am given 10 books that are thick enough to remind of my Mathematical textbooks and all have some eerie vibe to them. One of them has the cover of it made from the fur of some animal and a little blood is still on it while one has a creepy ill.u.s.tration on the cover of a Siren luring sailors towards her in order to devour them.
"Is this all?" I ask.
"Yes!" The girl answers. The boy nods. And the idiot says with a smile,
"Well then, that should be good enough."
"Yes but, Sung Li," I say, "Could you tell how much something weighs by picking it up?"
"I can give an estimate."
"Good, good! I am not very good at those things so could you tell me the estimated weight of each of these books?"
He gives me a thumbs up and start going through each book one-by-one. Even though he picks them all up with his bare hands once, nothing seems to happen to him. So I guess picking them up would be fine. But, what about opening them?
However, just as I was about to fully conclude that touching them does not do any harm, Sung Li screams in an agony-filled voice.
"W-what happened!?" I ask as he drops the final book that the two had brought us.
"I was a fool." He says in a serious and somewhat furious voice, "These two are no Frosts."
I look at the two teens and see them looking back with smiles. I look down at the book that caused Sung Li to cry in pain and see that it has an ill.u.s.tration of a band of really mean and inhuman looking people wearing human-like masks and luring two humans to where they live.
As soon as I look at that, I take a glance back and see everyone in the village looking at us with eyes filled with … hunger.
Seeing me look at them, their appearances start to change.
"These people are" I realize just as Sung Li says it, "the worst of the wizards."
All of their appearance becomes that of old crooks and hags with pure black clothes and hats like the traditional appearances of witches and wizards. Even the two teens from before have had their appearance changed. Furthermore, many Cyclops and other large creatures have appeared on the edges of the village as if to block our escape.
I see now. So they knew I was watching them and the whole thing with the Cyclops was a charade to fool me.
And I got fooled, d.a.m.nit! Here I was thinking that I was being a little too suspicious of people and now I realize that I actually wasn"t enough suspicious of them.
Well, that said, I am not exactly scared or worried as to what might happen. While yes, they may have me surrounded and think they have the advantage, I can"t help but smile at the opportunity right before me.
I mean, think about it. Over 50 people with dark magic abilities all present all around me. How is this not an opportunity for a little Moral Dystopia?
"Well, you seem unexpectedly happy." Sung Li says as he lets go of his hand, which I a.s.sume is because his pain has subsided.
"Well," I cook something up again, "how can I not be happy when I have the chance to stop so many dark magicians right in front of me?"
And hearing that, Sung Li takes out his sword with a smile and says, "Well, if that"s the case, let"s show these b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who is the boss!"
And so, a bloodbath begins.
*****