Chapter 36: The Fate of the Bald Man

“…That brat… I will never forgive him…”

Hasea’s eyes burned with a hatred so fierce it seemed almost tangible as he stared at the house.

After being demoted from his position as a gang lieutenant, the hell that awaited him was beyond imagination.

Those who had once loyally followed him had betrayed him, casting him out, and he had been hunted repeatedly—targets of assassins sent by the boss, no doubt, aiming to eliminate a man who once knew the inner workings of the organization too well.

The result was a Hasea unrecognizable compared to just a few days prior. He had fallen into such squalor that only a faint trace of his former presence remained. Part of it was intentional—he wrapped himself in tattered clothes to hide his identity—but most of it was simply the result of losing nearly all his wealth, leaving him unable even to maintain a proper appearance.

“All of this… it’s that brat’s fault…”

It would have been one thing if only that merchant had bested him. But the real blow came when he attempted, in person, to kidnap a single boy—and failed. Not only was he repelled, he had been knocked unconscious and carried away by his own men in a pitiful retreat.

That utterly humiliating scene shattered the loyalty of those who had once admired him. Many had turned away, disappointed by the man they had followed.

Even now, Hasea imagined, he was surely being mocked behind his back.

“Couldn’t have said it if I hadn’t seen that enormous golem…!”

Even now, he couldn’t shake the memory. That massive form—there was no illusion in it. He had been lifted, slammed into the ground, and left to contemplate his own weakness.

“Tch… going inside that house would be too dangerous…”

Despite the boiling rage that churned through his chest, his mind remained sharp. At first glance, it was an ordinary house, but Hasea sensed a hidden secret within. He would be cautious.

“I’ll strike when they step outside… damn it, when will they ever come out?!”

He had been watching for some time, yet no one emerged. He wondered silently how they managed their daily life.

“…A girl?”

Finally, a figure appeared—seemingly a girl in her mid-teens.

“So, he said he lived here with his little sister…”

Hasea recalled the reports from his subordinates. The younger sister was supposedly an aspiring adventurer, often away from home.

“…An aspiring adventurer, huh.”

A sly grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. Hasea prided himself on his swordsmanship. This girl, if she were truly an adventurer, might only rank as a B-tier at best—a level he could handle without much trouble.

“First the little sister… then I’ll draw the brat out…”

With that plan forming in his mind, Hasea began to follow the girl, keeping a careful distance.

“…Alright, now.”

She slipped into a deserted alley. Hasea quickened his pace, closing the gap until he was directly behind her.

“Hey there, little lady. Don’t make a sound if you don’t want to die.”

The girl turned slowly, her expression calm, not a scream escaping her lips.

“A bad-looking bald guy… hmm. Could it be… are you the one who attacked my brother?”

“…!”

Her cheerful tone in such a tense situation sent a shiver down Hasea’s spine. Yet his pride would not allow him to hesitate before a child.

“So you’ve heard about me from your brother, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, that makes things easier. Obey everything I say, and I won’t kill you.”

Suppressing a growing unease, Hasea gave his order.

“Ehh, I don’t want to.”

“…You? Do you even understand the situation?”

Hasea drew his sword, the distance between them close enough that he could end her in an instant.

But the girl, unfazed, smirked mockingly:

“Hmmm… I think you should be the one to understand your own situation, mister.”

“Ah? You little—wait, what—?”

Then he noticed it. His right arm, the one holding his sword, had vanished.

A metallic clatter sounded at his feet.

The sword lay on the ground. His hand still gripped the hilt—but the blade was gone.

“…Huh?”

He dared to lift his eyes, and there she was, smiling innocently. Yet her eyes were devoid of any warmth.

In her hand gleamed a bloodied sword—his own blood, he realized with a jolt.

“My brother is kind… he probably would have let you go. But I’m not like him.”

“Eek!”

Hasea found himself collapsing backward without realizing it. The deadly aura emanating from a girl who should have been no match for him had robbed him of all control.

Instinct screamed: never underestimate her.

“Well then… mister. Next life, try living a slightly more decent life, okay?”

“W-Wait—”

Hasea’s consciousness shattered there.

“I’m a little nervous.”

“What kind of person is the lord, I wonder?”

The adventuring party—Shifa, Anii, Sena—and the alchemist Merlin had arrived at the lord’s castle.

“Why… why am I even here…? I’m just a simple alchemist… I want to go home… I want to smell Denis-chan’s scent again…”

“Come on, Merlin, stop mumbling. We can’t keep the lord waiting. Let’s go.”

“W-Wait… at least let me go with Denis-chan—”

“Denis wasn’t invited, remember?”

Anii tugged Merlin roughly by the hand, impatient with her lingering hesitation in front of the castle. There was no time to waste. Resigned, Merlin was dragged along, shuffling reluctantly.

“Shifa-sama, Anii-sama, Sena-sama, and… Merlin-sama, correct?”

A softly spoken butler greeted them, and for the first time, the group stepped inside the imposing gates of the lord’s castle.