Volume 10 Chapter 7 Hounds And Their Master
Starting the next day, Ice began commanding her ice soldiers to gather up the discarded Demon shells that had fallen in the slums.
"Wow, they're really doing it!"
I heard the rumors and visited the slums. When I looked around, I saw the ice soldiers marching through the cold streets like an army, picking up the fallen demons one by one.
"Ice's magic is really powerful at times like this."
As I watched, the ice soldiers noticed me and greeted me with a nod, looking somewhat happy. Their behavior was a bit like Ice's, and it made me feel a little nostalgic.
"Well, I should get to work too."
I was impressed by Ice's work and decided to focus my own mind.
My job in the slums.
In other words, I needed to conduct further on-site research.
Renril had done some reconnaissance, but honestly, I didn't think it was enough to take action. We didn't know the location of the tower, and it was unlikely that there were no other important locations besides the guild.
So, I was supposed to meet up with Renril, who knew the geography, Sandra, who was good at gathering information, and Rollo, but...
"...No one's showing up."
I checked the time. Thirty minutes had already passed. What were they doing?
"I guess I'll have to go look for them."
I let out a sigh and started walking. I soon encountered several ice soldiers again, so I asked them, "Excuse me?"
"I was supposed to meet up with Sandra, Rollo, and Renril, but none of them showed up at the meeting spot. Do you know anything?"
In response to my question, one of the ice soldiers handed me my own hand, which transformed into a bird. It was an ice bird.
"Chirp!"
The ice bird began to fly, leading the way. Its tracking abilities were impressive.
Using the Ajna Chakra can be a bit of a hassle, since it sometimes attracts the attention of the Demon King of Deception, depending on how you use it. It's like a nightmare.
Lately, it feels like the criteria for getting her attention have become stricter. Hermes, you're going to pay for this someday.
As I walked for a while, I came across a group of thugs and a demon brother and sister who were being hung up.
"Seriously, what's with these guys? I thought they were something special, but they're just a couple of nobodies."
"Hey, these guys are still conscious, so let's just sell them to a training house or something. We can get a decent price for them, right?"
"P-please forgive us... I-I mean, we really are waiting for someone, so please..."
"Aww, come on~! You're gonna sell us off just because we teased you a bit~? That's so heartless~! And, um, Renril, you're actually pretty good at taking belly punches, you know~?"
Renril is apologizing with a blank face while being strung up, and Rollo is still getting teased and belly punched even while being strung up. What are these guys even doing?
I let out a deep sigh and approach the group.
"Hey, sorry, but I don't know what these guys did, but they're with me. Can you let them go?"
"Huh? Well, if you want them back, you'll have to pay a ransom. Three copper coins should cover it, I guess."
"Fine."
I use the 3 copper coins I had in my pocket to buy back the two of them and set them free.
"...That's one and a half copper coins per person, isn't it..."
"Rollo just set a new record for the lowest price ever! What's gonna happen to us, Master~?!"
They were sold for the equivalent of 450 yen, and Renril is looking down, while Rollo is protesting to me. I just give Rollo a silent punch to the head.
"Next, where's Sandra? Do you guys know where she is?"
"Sandra-sama was walking with us until a little while ago, but then she just disappeared."
"Wow, Sandra-sama is so amazing~! She just vanished into thin air~!"
"Well, that's just Sandra for you."
I guess there's no point in looking for her. She'll probably come back when she gets bored. We'll just leave her be.
So, the 3 of us start moving out to do some reconnaissance on the slums.
"What else is there to see besides the guild? We didn't get to check out Ede Wolf's base or Don Fen's place last time."
"Actually, there are a lot of other bases around here. I don't think we can visit all of them, though."
"Seriously? I also want to check out the Tower at least once. The Protection Tower. And I want to know if there are any other places we should check out around here."
"Yeah, that's right. If we're going to make a big scene, we should probably take care of any demons that might attack us as enemies."
Renril thought for a moment, then said, "Should we go meet the master?"
"The master? What's that?"
"The master of Hounds."
Hounds... I've heard of them. Renril told me they're a large-scale assassination clan, second only to Ede Wolf.
The master, huh? That must mean the leader. But what a weird name. The master of Hounds, with the Hounds being the main group...
I nodded.
"Yeah, let's go take a look."
"Okay, this way..." "Ah, Master's really lucky, huh~."
Just as Renril was about to lead the way, Rollo said to me,
"Hey, look over there~. It's just about time for their walk, it seems~?"
When Rollo told me to turn around, I saw an elderly gentleman walking with a bunch of huge, grotesque creatures on leashes.
He was wearing a middle-part hat and a gentleman's suit, and had a refined air about him. He looked high-class, but not in a flashy, noble kind of way--more like a simple, down-to-earth suit.
But what really caught my eye were the creatures he was leading.
They were... Grotesques. That's the only way to describe them. They were made up of human parts, but they weren't human. Each one was shaped differently--some had 3 legs growing out of their shoulders, while others were just giant balls with faces.
As the old gentleman walked, he noticed us and gave a slight bow.
"Hello there, young folks. You're not from around here, are you?"
"...Yeah, we just started working around here recently."
"Ah, same line of work, I presume? Sorry about that. Let me introduce myself properly."
The old gentleman took off his hat and moved it to the back of his head, bowing slightly deeper than before.
"I'm Dantalion. I run a clan called Hounds in the assassination guild."
As Dantalion introduced himself and bowed, the creatures he was leading all crouched down, as if kneeling.
We were a bit intimidated, but we introduced ourselves and bowed back.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Wade, and this is Rollo and Renril."
"Rollo~."
"Nice to meet you, I'm Renril."
"Hohoho, you're very polite, that's great to see."
As I respond to his greeting, Dantalion smiles cheerfully. Then, he asks, "How's your work at the Assassin's Guild?"
"Ah, well, it's going okay, I guess."
I've never actually done any work at the Assassin's Guild, though. I mean, kidnapping and holding people for ransom just for the money doesn't really sit well with me.
"Really? That's great to hear, anyway."
Despite my vague response, Dantalion nods enthusiastically. Then, he asks, "Do you know about my clan?"
"Yeah... I've heard it's a group called Hounds that works together..."
I think to myself as I respond. Hounds... working together... and then there's Dantalion, who's called their "master," and the weird creatures that go on walks with him.
Are these creatures the Hounds?
"Yes. At my place, we invite people who aren't doing well at the Assassin's Guild and teach them some special tips to make their work go smoothly. We work together as a team."
Dantalion explains in a cheerful tone.
"The tips I teach are a bit unusual, so I only share them with my clan members, but if you do things this way, your work will go really smoothly. Just look at these kids, they're all smiling, right?"
As Dantalion speaks, he gently pets the weird creature. The creature closes its eyes and looks happy, like a dog being petted by its owner.
"If you ever have trouble with your work, please don't hesitate to come to me. The Assassin's Guild is a place where demons who still have the will to live go as a last resort. It's sad to see people give up on everything."
The way Dantalion speaks with such enthusiasm, I'd think he's the director of an orphanage or something.
But since he's got these weird creatures with him, I just can't help but feel a sense of disgust.
"...I'll keep that in mind."
The word "devil" flashes through my mind. A noble class of demons that's on a whole different level from regular demons.
They're not just strong demons, but they have a unique sense of evil to them. Bael had a distinct atmosphere to him, too.
"Thank you. But if things go well, let's get along for now. Having strong colleagues is always a good thing."
Dantalion says this with a cheerful smile. I force a smile, trying to hide my nervous sweat.
"By the way, I saw a weird soldier today. Do you know about it?"
"A weird soldier?"
"Yeah, a transparent soldier. Is it made of ice or something?"
I realize it's an Ice soldier.
"Ah, I saw it on the way. Is it a new soldier from the Demon King's army?"
I smoothly tell a lie. Renril nods without changing her expression, and Rollo giggles quietly and pokes my side. Stop it.
"It seems like they're collecting people from the streets... and we're having a bit of trouble. Those people are needed for our Hounds, but we can't just confront the Demon King's army..."
Dantalion looks concerned, as if wondering what to do.
On the other hand, I'm suspicious. Why do the Hounds need those weak demons? What are they planning to do with them?
"Say, would you mind investigating for me? Of course, I'll pay you a reward."
Dantalion says this with a tone that suggests he's just thought of a good idea.
Rollo and I are taken aback.
"Huh, what?"
"The Demon King's army isn't invincible. Remember how someone stole the Tower at the bazaar the other day? Considering that, this might be a suitable request for newcomers."
Dantalion thinks it's related to the Demon King's army and approaches us.
"As for the reward, let's see... how about a big silver coin? If things go well, you'll be set for a month or 2 with just this one job."
Rollo's eyes widen at the mention of a "big silver coin~?" In reality, a big silver coin is worth 300,000 yen.
But the content of the request is suspicious. I wish I could say it's an internal matter, but I can't.
What should I do, I wonder. As of now, I don't want to have any relationship with Dantalion, whether it's friendly or hostile.
Just then, a voice echoed from behind us.
"No way. Don't assign tasks to our members without permission."
When we turned around, Sandra was standing there.
I couldn't help but call out her name in gratitude, "Sandra!"
Sandra grabbed my hand and, with the flow, hugged my face to her chest, while warning Dantalion. So soft. What a nice bonus.
"Ah, I see. So you're a friend of the up-and-coming Sandra-san. In that case, I apologize for the trouble. Excuse me."
"That's right. You're being a huge bother. Just leave already."
"Hohoho. Well, before I get hated by Sandra-san any further, I'll take my leave. Farewell, everyone. May you be well."
He tipped his hat and bowed, then left with his bizarre Hounds.
After watching him leave for a while, I turned to Sandra and said,
"Thanks, Sandra."
"No problem. I also got to hug Wade in the chaos, so thanks to you too."
"You're using 'thanks' wrong, you know."
That's just like Sandra.
As I was freed from Sandra's hug, I muttered, "So that's the 'master'..."
Bizarre, Hounds. And their master, Dantalion. Probably a devil. And likely an enemy when the plan is set in motion.
This encounter was worth it. Thinking that, I called out to Renril, "Let's check the location of the Tower for now."
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)