Translator’s Note
毒を食らわば皿まで (Doku o kurawaba sara made) – “If you’re going to eat poison, eat the whole plate” is a Japanese proverb similar to “In for a penny, in for a pound.” Here it gets changed slightly, replacing “plate” (sara) with “Duck Hot Pot” (Kamo Nabe), because of plot reasons and also sounds funnier.
It was a room without windows.
The room, brightly lit by magical lamps, was aptly called the “office.”
Bookshelves packed with ledgers and documents. A desk lined with writing instruments and papers. A moderately luxurious leather chair. All of them were brand new. The lack of any other furnishings wasn’t due to the occupant’s taste, but simply because he hadn’t finished unpacking yet.
“Chief! We have a communication. They say they can’t send reinforcements…!”
“I see. Then, we’ll abandon this base and escape.”
Hearing the report from the underling who’d rushed into the room, Derek, the Night Python’s territorial chief for the Count Kealy County, nodded languidly.
At first glance, Derek appeared to be a nervous, small man in his forties.
However, in reality, he was a bold and unrestrained character, and ruthless towards his enemies. Anyone who knew Derek would never underestimate him.
And above all, his sharp mind and proficiency with numbers had allowed him to rise to the rank of an executive, entrusted with an entire territory.
This place was a mansion in the high-class residential district of the city of Vone.
Disguised as having been bought by a merchant, it served as a base, a sort of internal headquarters within the Night Python’s territory.
However, they had only just moved here. And yet, Derek, the chief, was ordering them to abandon the base and leave. The underling who’d brought the report was flustered by Derek’s answer.
“I-Is that okay? We just moved in…”
“Well, ‘fighting’ was predicated on the assumption that reinforcements would arrive. Without that, there’s no way we can win.”
Derek spoke matter-of-factly. For him, battle wasn’t a matter of spirit, but of calculation.
The Night Python’s greatest strength lay in three bodyguards.
Udanosuke, a katana user who could slice through mithril. Est, a female assassin skilled in disguise and hidden weapons. Godo, a dwarven martial artist who was said to have once punched a tiger to death. All three were formidable warriors, equivalent to at least sixth-rank elite adventurers, if not higher. If they could have borrowed even one of them, they could have routed the elite troops that a minor lord had managed to scrape together.
Humans who trained their bodies to the limit could draw out power through the circulation of bio-mana, surpassing the limits of their flesh. It was as if their bodies were casting enhancement magic on themselves. Sometimes, they were said to be able to withstand a dragon’s breath with their bare bodies and even smash iron golems. The bodyguards had all reached that level.
On the other hand, Count Kealy’s forces had no one of that caliber. If the fourth-rank guard party “Dragon’s Throat” had come, it might have been troublesome, but Derek had already set a trap and captured the “Dragon’s Throat” wizard, Iris.
“Dragon’s Throat” was significantly weakened, and there was a possibility of restricting their movements with a hostage. Everything would have been fine if the bodyguards had arrived as reinforcements, but that request had been denied. The higher-ups had decided that it was more beneficial to minimize losses than to win a local battle.
“To tell you the truth, I’ve even been told that we can temporarily withdraw from the Count Kealy County. So, the fact that reinforcements aren’t coming means we should run.”
“…Really? I can hardly believe it.”
“It’s fine. The Count Kealy County will be forfeit soon anyway, so it doesn’t matter.”
Derek laughed at his subordinate’s surprised expression. This was still internal information. Only Derek, as an executive of Night Python, knew about it.
“The reason we moved our base to this city, Vone, is because the Count Kealy County will soon be gone, and Eltaref’s importance will diminish. That place doesn’t have much significance other than being the location of the Count’s castle. This city will probably be the center of the new territory.
Well, there’s also a possibility that it will be absorbed into the neighboring territory. If that happens, I’ll be demoted from the territory’s boss to the city’s boss.”
“Demoted? That’s terrible!”
“It’s fine. Once that hard-headed Count is gone, there’s a chance for me to rise again. The former Count’s territory is my turf, after all.”
In fact, Derek wasn’t worried at all about the possibility of demotion.
He knew both the surface and the underworld of the area he was in charge of, and he had his own personal connections outside of Night Python. As long as he remained within the organization, Derek’s existence couldn’t be ignored.
For the same reason, he believed that even if they withdrew from the earldom now, it would be possible to recover their lost ground.
“We’ve received word that the Count’s forces, those damn bastards who were in Korga, are heading this way. They’ll probably enter Vone tomorrow. Gather the remaining men. We’re getting the hell out of here tonight. Tell anyone who can’t make it to escape on their own.”
“Understood… By the way, Chief. What about the adventurer kid we captured?”
“Huh? Oh, right…”
Derek, who had begun mentally categorizing things to take, things to entrust to trusted merchants, things to dispose of, and things that could be confiscated without issue, remembered Iris when his underling asked.
She was a fresh hostage prepared for battle, but if they were running away without fighting, what should he do?
“We caught her because the plan worked perfectly, but now that we’re not fighting, she’s become useless… Well, let’s take her. She might be a hostage if the adventurers chase us, and she’s a female, a kid, and a wizard. Her face isn’t bad either. Even if we don’t need her, we can get a good price for her if we sell her to the right place.”
“Understood.”
It was snowing that night.
The eerie sight of white snow blowing from the depths of the black darkness was enough to make anyone feel uneasy. It made one feel as if they would never be able to escape this darkness.
Several horse-drawn sleighs, with box-shaped carriages attached like wagons, formed a line, carrying a magical lamp that had been modified with a technique so that its light couldn’t be seen from afar. Following an old road rarely used by people, the 30-odd members of Night Python were fleeing.
The sleighs were loaded with cash, some magic items, ledgers and debt certificates, and expensive (and illegal) drugs. The members squeezed into the gaps between the large loads, and one hostage was rolled up among them.
“The path ahead has been confirmed to be safe. There are no monsters or travelers.”
A scout from the neighboring territory reported through the small window of the sleigh, and Derek, who was riding inside, responded.
“Good work.”
The scout, dressed in cold-weather gear, disappeared back into the snow.
Everyone was taking turns being the driver, but Derek, who sat rudely with his feet on the luggage, naturally didn’t participate. He stared into the darkness inside the carriage, calculating what he needed to do next.
“How far are we going?”
“We’ll lie low in nearby Tees until the Count can no longer move. It might be cramped, but it’ll only be for three months at most.”
It was at that moment that Derek spoke.
“That won’t do. You have to take me to your boss.”
A voice came from among the luggage, and the next moment, the horse-sleigh Derek was riding in exploded from the inside.
A/N: Thanks to everyone, the series has entered the daily ranking for Isekai Transition/Reincarnation Fantasy.
Thank you very much!