Yuusha no chichi~ C5: The Hero’s father, asking.

 

 

After a short rest, Mion regains her strength and leads them through the forest.

The deeper they go into the forest, the thicker the burning smell gets.

And then there is also the smell of blood.

Besides, there is another strange smell. This is neither the smell of burning nor the smell of blood. It is a different, more unpleasant smell.

Clore stopped and frowned.

He remembers this smell. He had smelled it many times when he was traveling in the past.

 

"Dear?"

 

"Ummm ...... Wiel, Mion-chan. It is better not to see what comes next from here. I'll go alone."

 

"Eh? But ......"

 

Mion was puzzled by Clore's words.

Certainly, this smell is unpleasant for Mion. But not so much that it is unbearable.

That's why she wants to go with him.

 

"It would be better if you two don't see the scene beyond this point."

 

Clore insisted and would not budge.

Seeing his straight eyes, Mion involuntarily backed away.

 

"Mion-chan, Let's leave this to my husband."

 

"......I understand. But please. If any of my fellow tribe is still alive, please help them....!"

 

"I know. Well then, Wiel, take care of Mion-chan."

 

"Okay. Take care, Dear."

 

Leaving Mion with Wiel, Clore headed deeper into the forest.

The smell intensifies as he walks. It had been a long time since he had smelled such a strong smell. Even for Clore, it made him feel sick.

After a long walk.

He finally reaches the wreckage of the village.

Burnt and destroyed houses. The corpses of the rabbit tribe lie everywhere. Most of the corpses had been killed so cruelly that it was almost unbearable to look at them.

He walked around the village for a while and found that only one big house was left unburned.

The unpleasant smell comes from this house.

Clore frowns his eyebrows and opens the door.

 

"Just as I thought"

 

Five dead bodies of the rabbit tribe are lying there.

And they are all young women. They must have been very beautiful when they were alive.

Because they had been tortured to death that they can't be recognized anymore. This thick smell is the smell of men's sperm.

Demi-humans, including the rabbit tribe, have higher endurance and vitality compared with human beings.

They are raped and beaten for pleasure until they are in bad shape, but they are still kept alive and finally killed.

Clore has seen such scenes many times before.

 

"...... Hmm?　This guy..."

 

Something is attached around the necks of the five rabbit tribe [corpses].

It is a collar. Black and hard. On the surface are engraved patterns and mysterious letters.

 

"It can't be ......?"

 

This thing looked familiar.

It brought back memories from the past.

Suppressing the emotions that almost exploded, Clore left the building as quickly as possible.

He then walked around the village, looking for survivors, but couldn't find any survivors.

Suddenly...

 

"Ah?　What, did you survive?"

 

"No, he's a human being."

 

"So big!"

 

Suddenly, three human men appeared.

They are wearing tattered equipment and smiling evilly.

 

"Are you guys who attacked this village?"

 

"You don't have the right to talk."

 

"Does that mean you guys did this?"

 

"That's wrong. Gyahahahapepo?"

 

His suppressed anger erupted, and he punched one of the men in the face, smashing him.

It was a fist that could smash even a dragon's head. The armor worn by this man was as useless as paper.

The other two stunned, but one of them takes out his sword and attack.

 

"Bastard, Kill him!"

 

Clore kicks the other one in the abdomen, blows him up into the air, and explodes.

The last remaining bandit is horrified seeing all that.

A fist and a kick that smashed human bodies. He has never seen or heard of such a human being.

 

"Hey, you. Answer my question. If you don't answer, I'll kill you. If you lie, I'll kill you. If you answer anything other than what I asked, I'll kill you."

 

"............!!"

 

The man nods his head very fast, thinking he might be killed.

If he disobeys Clore, he would be killed for sure. That is what his instincts as a bandit are telling him.

 

"First of all, are you guys Slave Traders?"

 

"Yes, yes. To be precise, we are bandits hired by a Slave Trader......!"

 

Slave traders.

They are black market traders who capture humans and Demi-humans and sell them to aristocrats and high-class people for high prices.

Slave trading is prohibited all over the world. However, they are frequently bought and sold behind the scenes.

It seems that these men are just bandits hired by a Slave Trader.

 

"How many bandits are there?"

 

"Fi, fifty."

 

"That's quite a lot... Where is your hideout?"

 

"Usually in a cave deep in the forest, but right now half of us are selling the Demi-humans we've captured to Apuu city."

 

He then talks quickly to answers Clore's questions, perhaps because he is so scared of losing his life.

Thanks to this, Clore learned more information about the bandits.

This man seems to be just a low-level bandit and does not know anything about the Slave Trader, which is the most important thing. He said he came here just to play with the clean corpses.

 

"I see, so half of the bandits are in the cave?"

 

"Yes, yes. That's all I know... I told you what I know, so I'm...."

 

"Mm? Ah, that's right. Thanks, that's very helpful."

 

"He, hehe. It's not a big deal. So, I'll be leaving now..."

 

"Wait. Where do you think you're going?"

 

Clore grabs the man's face and lifts him lightly.

 

 

"...!!? … !!"

 

His mouth and nose are blocked, and so he can't speak.

His bloodshot eyes stare at Clore as if begging for mercy.

But Clore just looks at the man with cold eyes.

 

"If you don't answer my questions, I'll kill you. If you lie, I will kill you. If you answer anything other than what I asked, I'll kill you. That's what I said, but I never said I would let you go home alive."

 

"!?"

 

"You ...... think about what you guys have done so far ....... Did you really think you can go home alive?"

 

As the force is put into his hand, his fingers dig in and break the skull.

Thick black blood flows from his eyes.

The head was crushed into a crumpled mess.

 

"You have destroyed other people's ordinary lives, so don't even think you can live in peace."