Chapter 171 – He had friends?!

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After the defeat of the Toria king, we had come to the northern side of the royal capital.

Here, the soldiers were extinguishing fires and gathering supplies that the king’s soldiers had left on the battlefield.

As for Ylis, she was advancing on Rodeshia, where the king had fled. Apparently, she wanted him to surrender.

In the meantime, we helped with the aftermath, while taking a certain prisoner with us.

It was Yomotsu, in the form of a fox.
And so while his four limbs were free, there was a collar around his neck, and Melk held the leash.

Yomotsu asked Melk,

“What is the meaning of this?”
“We are not trying to make an exhibition. Hurry up and gather.”

Melk said, and so Yomotsu begrudgingly picked up the fallen things with his mouth.

However, there was something restless in his movements.
Even more so than when he was first captured.

Iria noticed this and said,

“Mr. Yomotsu… You have friends nearby, don’t you?”
“…”

Yomotsu became quiet.
He had also been like this earlier, when we showed him the fake crown.

And then Mette muttered.

“Feeling loyal to your friends, eh?”
“…I have no friends.”

Yomotsu said with an irritated voice.

“Then should we put it to the test?”

Mette unsheathed her sword and pointed it at Yomotsu.

“Y-you bastard!”

Yomotsu immediately started to howl into the distance.

It was probably a signal to stay back.

However, Melk then noticed something.

“A similar scent is approaching… Asuha, over there.”
“Yes!”

And then Asuha went flying in the direction that Melk pointed.
I then took out a bag of green powder, which I had made, and then used wind magic to blow it into the air.

The powder then clung to things that shouldn’t have been there.

I had assumed that they were using Hide, just as we had. And I was right.

“It showed its tail.”

And then Melk immediately jumped on the transparent figure.
Eventually, a fox appeared.

“Tsk! Let go! Let go!”
“Mette, help.”
“Aye.”

While the fox thrashed around, it was soon bound up by Mette.

“Father! …I’m sorry.”

Yomotsu had a face of deep regret after seeing the fox cry as it was bound up.

No one was holding the leash now, and so he could have escaped. But perhaps he had realized that it was no use in front of us.

Instead, Yomotsu walked up to me and said,

“I do not know who this is! So do not harm them!”
“If you don’t know, why should you care?”

Iria said with a cool expression.

“Tsk…”

Yomotsu became silent again.

In the meantime, I checked the movement of the fox’s magic energy.

Compared to the weakened Yomotsu, it had little magic energy. And while it was not gagged, it did not try to use any necromancy.

Instead, the fox was wearing a collar. And I sensed considerable magic energy from it. Perhaps it was the magic item that allowed them to use Hide?

“So he was making his own child help… As a spy. Melk, it is possible that they were working as a tribe. Can you follow this one’s scent?”
“Yes. Mette, Asuha. Help.”

And so Melk and the others began to follow the scent.

Yomotsu was shaking uncontrollably.

“Wh-what is your purpose?”
“I already told you. I will hand you over to the Demon King. The more prisoners we have, the better the negotiation terms, right?”
“Not at all! The Demon King does not forgive failure! It will not help you at all!”
“Then, what will happen to you and the others?”
“Well…”

Yomotsu stumbled on his words.

Why was he so afraid of meeting the Demon King?

Because the Demon King was cruel, and mercilessly punished those who have failed him? Or was it that he didn’t want the Demon King to know of…

“In any case, we are taking you with us.”
“…”

After that, Melk was able to find the other foxes.
There were five of them in all. And they were all small and cub-like. Clearly, they could not use magic.

And though it might have been wiser to keep them separated, we decided to put them in the same cell as Yomotsu for now.

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Seisan Mahoushi no Rakuraku Henkyou Kaitaku - Saikyou no Ajintachi to Howaito Kokka wo Kizukimasu!