Chapter 19. Who to Blame (6)

Four new men dressed in guard uniforms emerged from the gate where the two guards had entered earlier. The bald man surveyed the four guards following behind him, one of whom pulled a cart.

A cart?

An odd sense of unease crept over me. I slowly raised the crossbow, aiming at the bald man's face.

The previous guards had worn relaxed expressions, their faces reflecting desire for each day to pass quietly. These new men wore the same uniforms, but their expressions were different. They had eyes like those of hyenas gnawing at a corpse's flesh.

The bald man, who seemed to be their leader, looked even worse. He seemed like the type who would kill an animal just to suck out its marrow.

I looked at the cart. The man pulling it had a similar appearance to the others, as he also wore a guard's uniform. However, his face was bruised all over, and he was limping as well.

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.

A wounded man pulling a cart alone.

He couldn't have gotten those bruises from just falling over. It showed signs of a concentrated beating. The bald man walked ahead with long strides, and the man pulling the cart was right behind him. The other three guards followed closely.

They walked quietly along the avenue, carefully looking around. Each of the guards seemed fairly strong. I stealthily followed them at a distance, hiding in the bushes.

More than a mace or a crossbow.

Guards were not weak because they were supposed to maintain order in the city. However, these men seemed more vicious and stronger than the typical guard.

The men turned onto the mountain path, and I cautiously pursued them through the bushes. They carried torches in the dark, making it easy for me to keep a distance. I could see them, but they could not see me.

Rustle, rustle.

The sound of night insects covered their footsteps.

After walking for about ten minutes, the bald man gave an order. The bruised man pulling the cart got out and positioned himself to push it backward. Then, he tilted the cart toward the cliff.

What's going on?

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Something fell from the cart. It hit the rocks several times and rolled down below. The guards looked around and checked their surroundings, making it look as if they were secretly dumping trash.

After confirming no one was around, they walked back down the avenue. They passed by the bushes I was hiding behind.

I needed to check what had fallen from the cart. My anxiety reached its peak, and I inadvertently flinched.

Clatter.

"

Huh?

Is something nearby?"

The bald man suddenly turned around.

Did he notice me? If I'm discovered, it's over.

There were five guards, and I was alone. The bald man didn't look easy to handle either. He had broad shoulders, like those of an orc. Even fighting him alone would be difficult.

At that moment, the bruised man pulling the empty cart fell forward.

Thud!

The bald man's attention shifted to him.

Whack!

The bald man beat up the bruised man. The beating occurred so naturally that it seemed like it was merely the continuation of a beating that had started long ago.

"Don't piss me off."

Whack!

"You bastard, you only fall when I tell you to fall."

Thud!

"After catching her with great effort, you removed the gag to shove something in her mouth, then she killed herself? The more I think about it, the more ridiculous you are."

Crack!

"

AAAGH!

"

The bruised man's scream echoed into the sky.

The bald man seemed to calm down a bit and continued walking forward.

What are they talking about?

My anxiety grew more intense as I listened to their conversation. I hid and watched them enter the gate.

It can't be. It can't be.

Leaving two guards on duty, the bald man closed the gate behind them and went inside.

A while later, the two guards glanced at the gate.

One of them spat on the ground and cursed. "What a waste. I really wanted to use it before throwing it away..."

"Then go ahead, you crazy bastard."

"Well, well! I'll just leave this behind. I'll take only my sword."

The guard put down his shield and spear.

The wind blew toward the bush where I was hiding. I could clearly hear the guards' conversation.

"

Tsk,

you'll stab with that thing again. Your tastes are disgusting."

"Do you want to try?"

"No way. I only do it with something alive that squirms. Otherwise, what's the fun?"

***

I tried not to imagine the meaning behind their conversation. I did not want to be certain of anything until I saw it with my own eyes because I knew I would think of something terrible. I had to check.

Plod, plod.

The tall guard with only a sword at his waist started walking down the avenue with a torch in hand.

I could see his face clearly.. He had short, curly black hair and sunken, bloodshot eyes.

The guard went back to that mountain from before, making his way to the spot at the bottom where the contents of the cart had been dumped.

Ssshh.

I quietly followed the guard along the bushes. I felt slightly dizzy.

"

Hehe...

"

The man was so engrossed in finding something that he didn't notice a skeleton quietly following him in the bushes. He was focused on an object, and I was looking at it too. It turned out to be a woman's corpse.

"Will 40 roti be enough? A bribe of 1 roti... hmm."

"January 20th is a really special day. If we defeat Sardiya on that day..."

It was the woman who had been diligently repeating the prices of armor she had read in a book, thinking about how to negotiate, and worrying about the bribe for the guard. She had talked about the effects of flowers and joked with me about the new emperor's decree.

She was the woman who had pulled me out of the grave and lent me a dagger. Out of worry for the skeleton she had raised, that woman had come running with a stone. That woman had playfully thrown snowballs at me and joked about me being the remains of Seiron I.

It was the very same woman.

There lay Rubia's corpse, naked and covered with bruises and stab wounds.

Why. Why. Why. Why on earth? Why does this woman have to suffer so much? Is suffering some kind of destiny for her? What choice should I make? Was everything wrong from the start? What am I supposed to do?

Skeletons could not shed tears. Only darkness and wind swirled in my empty eye sockets.

Clatter.

I slowly rose from my crouched position in the bushes.

"

Hehehe...

"

The guard laughed while looking at the corpse. Blood dripped from his mouth as he laughed.

I looked at her dead body. The corpse was cold and silent, but I could not stay silent seeing it.

Rustle.

Startled by the sound, the man shouted, "Huh? Who's there?"

Thwip!

I fired the preloaded crossbow at his throat. We were more than ten paces apart, but I could smell the foul man's breath. I wanted to stop that breath.

Thud!

The crossbow bolt hit the guard's arm.

Is it because I am agitated?

My aim was terrible. I missed the man's throat by a long shot.

The guard made a big fuss.

"

Aagh! Aaaah!

"

I originally intended to pierce that disgusting throat in one go, but I failed pathetically. Neither anger nor sadness improved my shooting skills, and a splendid strike never materialized. Even if a mere skeleton like me experienced anger or sorrow, nothing would change. It had always been this way.

Nevertheless, I grabbed the club and diligently prepared for the next blow. I had to prepare for the next attack until my bones broke again and again.

Whoosh!

I swung the club. The guard quickly rolled to the ground.

Swoosh!

I changed direction and struck down at the ground where he was rolling.

Thud!

"

Aaagh!

"

The man screamed as I hit his left leg with the club. However, my attack lacked power because I changed the direction of the club midway, and he rolled over again.

Shing!

The guard drew his sword from his waist.

Swish!

As he stood up, he swung his sword.

Clang!

I blocked the sword with my club. The club was made of wood, but it was covered in iron and had a thick iron core inside. It did not yield much in weight or strength compared to a sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The distance was just a step or half a step, close enough to be almost touching. The sword and the club clashed fiercely. The guard's complexion was not good as he gritted his teeth.

The weapon he wielded was a one-handed sword, which was ideal for me in this situation. Skeletons were different from humans. Even if we were stabbed, we would not die. A blunt weapon would be perfect for smashing bones. If the guard had a shield, he could have hurt me much more easily.

Crack! Fwoosh!

Caught in the collision, the torch the guard had set on the ground fell over. The fire spread to the dry winter leaves.

"You... you monster!" the guard shouted.

I was not yet a monster. I didn't know what would happen in the future, but for now, I was just a clattering skeleton.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The guard was concentrating on fighting me. For a pervert who liked corpses, he was quite well-trained. He did not panic or freeze with fear even after seeing a skeleton, an undead creature.

Just for that, he was impressive. When the distance became almost zero, the guard seized an opening.

Thwack!

The man grabbed my hand and wedged my club under his armpit. At the same time, he struck my jawbone hard with his fist.

Thwack!

He tried to push me away and snatch the club. The man knew what kind of weapon he needed. He wanted a blunt weapon to smash a skeleton.

I'll let him have it.

I pretended to resist for a moment and then grabbed the hilt of the guard's sword.

Clatter!

I exerted force. The man had a crossbow bolt stuck in his arm. If he had been in perfect condition, he might have beaten me.

"

Ugh!

"

Now, we were evenly matched. I gave up the club and took the sword. We swapped weapons.

Fwoosh!

The fire spread around us. The dry winter leaves on the ground began to crackle and burn. The leaves, dry as kindling, flared up brightly.

The guard, now holding the club, gritted his teeth. Humans were vulnerable to fire.

Whoosh!

The man swung the club fiercely from the upper right at a diagonal angle, making the most of his height advantage.

Clang!

I raised the sword to block the upper right, but another attack came simultaneously. The guard extended his right leg and kicked my side hard, knocking me back a step.

Thud!

Not bad.

It was a fairly strong kick, but I wouldn't just take it. I swung the sword toward him while still slightly airborne.

It was refreshing to hear the sword cutting through his flesh.

"

Aaagh! Aaaah!

" the guard screamed.

He was overreacting to his bleeding, but even in a sudden attack, he remained highly adaptable. He must have been an exceptionally strong guard, even among his peers. Or perhaps this just showed how weak I truly was—that I was crawling at the very bottom, unable to easily handle even a guard from a remote city.

Tap!

The man took two steps forward. He seemed determined to finish it quickly. Since he was bleeding, that would be wise.

Whoosh!

He swung the club fiercely. I stepped back and dodged it easily. I could have advanced while taking the hits if I had Blunt Resistance, but I had not chosen it. Instead, I had chosen to increase Rubia's Affection, but I did not regret that.

Whoosh!

The club swung again. I slipped aside and stepped forward with a half-step, pushing the sword in my hand forward. I thrust it straight into the man's chest.

Slash!

I drove the sword tip straight through for a clean counterattack. The sharp blade of the guard's own sword tore into his chest.