Kays Translations

Chapter 44

“Well then, let’s begin transporting the items back to the warehouse. The value of these goods is already known to those around us. We’ll proceed with the utmost caution.”

Behind the auction venue, a male auctioneer from Pigeon Trading Company stood waiting with their listed item in hand.

We nodded in agreement to his words, and at the same time—

“Before that, could you open the ‘Deep Sea’s Eye’ box right here and now?”

“Heh, of course. Please feel free to check it.”

We were being cautious. I insisted on checking the contents on the spot.

As a result, the Deep Sea’s Eye was still safely inside the small box.

…It’s the real thing.

“Thank you. Let’s get going, then.”

The small box was placed inside a metal container, and along with another identical metal box (a decoy), both were locked inside a large, sturdy metal cart.

Including a dummy for safety, and with the cart being lockable and heavy, the entire process was clearly designed for high security.

With a heavy rumble, we started transporting it toward the underground warehouse.

To reach the underground storage, we had to pass through two heavy iron doors—likely serving both as security and fire protection.

Then came a staircase. Midway down, there was another small iron door that connected to the basement of the old building.

That old section now served as the guard station, arguably the most secure area.

Ignoring that side door and continuing downward, we finally arrived at the underground storage area.

“Well then, shall we proceed?”

Just as the auctioneer opened the first fireproof door—

A faint sound, extremely faint… almost like clashing blades, came from beyond the second door.

…Looks like something’s finally happening—right at the last moment.

A short while earlier, just after the auction ended—

“There sure are a lot of people showing up, huh?”

“They’re probably here because the auction just ended. The winning items are being stored back in the warehouse, and the buyers will come collect them later.”

“Uh, okay…?”

Melt watched curiously, while Letty explained.

Due to security concerns, high-value items were the last to be returned to the warehouse. First, other general items were being transported back.

“In short: ‘People have finished picking what they want, so now everything’s being returned. Since they don’t have the money with them today, the items are kept in the warehouse until they come to pick them up later.’ They don’t get taken home the same day.”

“Ohhh, I see. That’s how it works? Shopping without having the money on hand is kind of weird though, isn’t it?”

“Well… it’s not exactly pocket change we’re talking about.”

It seemed Letty was gradually getting used to explaining things to Melt.

“Melt-san, if there’s a time to be on guard, it’s now. The trades are done, people have let their guard down, and the items’ value is now known. It’s the perfect time for someone to strike.”

“Right? So we just wait here until our item arrives?”

“Yes, that’s correct. …Our assignment is specifically to guard Pigeon Trading Company’s warehouse. We’ve been told not to get involved with incidents in other warehouses, but what would you like to do, Melt-san?”

“Hmm? Well… if that’s the right thing to do, I’ll follow it.”

“Indeed, that’s the proper course. However, as someone with arrest authority, I find it difficult to ignore clearly suspicious individuals.”

With that, Letty’s eyes narrowed toward a group wearing hoods to conceal their faces, who were following the items being carried into a nearby warehouse.

“Hmm? People covering their faces—isn’t that normal for this kind of event? I mean, there must be people who don’t want their identities revealed, or don’t want it known what they’ve bought, right?”

“…Melt-san, you’re oddly sharp sometimes.”

“Really? But yeah, those people do seem shady. What should we do?”

“…Let’s observe them with caution. Be ready to act immediately if something happens.”

“What about our item?”

“We’ll finish this before it arrives. It’s not like something has to happen—”

But before Letty could finish her sentence, Melt had already taken off running.

Sensing an unusual sound and vibration in the air, Melt became certain something had happened and bolted toward the warehouse in question.

It was the storage area of the Elkud Church Trading Company, where Same’s newly acquired ancient magic tool was being held.

“Did you get it!?”

“Yeah! Let’s retreat!”

“I’ll hold them off! Secure the escape route!”

Voices echoed from below. Melt readied her weapon, prepared to intercept the intruders coming up the stairs.

“Huh!? Melt-san!? What are you doing here!?”

“Hey! We’re leaving—this way, I think!”

Two hooded figures appeared—judging by their voices, they were young men.

Melt was momentarily shocked to hear them call her by name, but quickly noticed they were carrying some sort of case.

“You’re thieves, aren’t you? I’m arresting you right here.”

“No! We’re doing this for everyone’s sake!”

“Hurry up! If we get caught now, it’s all over!”

“But if we can get her on our side, she’d be a huge asset!”

Despite being recognized, Melt showed no hesitation and slashed down with her knife.

One of the men barely dodged and launched a magic counterattack.

A barrage of rock projectiles flew at her like a shotgun blast, but Melt deflected them all with her blade.

“It’s useless. Just give up and surrender.”

The skill gap was undeniable.

Letty caught up and drew her sword, pointing it at the intruders.

“So you really are just thieves. Idiots—trying to pull this off with just two people. Or are you decoys?”

“Damn… reinforcements. What now!?”

At that moment, a monstrous roar erupted from the underground warehouse—one that didn’t sound human.

It was followed by several screams.

The roar shook the entire underground. Melt and Letty flinched and instinctively covered their ears and eyes. In that moment of distraction, the two thieves dashed off and vanished into a different warehouse.

Letty immediately gave chase—but not before:

“Melt-san! Head to the back of that warehouse! The enemy… and whoever was guarding it should be there!”

“Got it. I’ll leave the chase to you, Letty-chan.”

Melt raced down the stairs.

At the bottom, a smashed, useless iron door and a trail of scattered blood awaited her.

Fearing the worst, she stepped inside.

“…What is this smell…? Blood and… it’s not a monster. What is this…?”

The scene that unfolded before Melt’s eyes burned itself into her memory.

One person was embedded into the wall, bleeding profusely. Another’s lower half was twisted and nearly torn off. A third had their arm caught in a massive mouth, hanging limply with no sign of strength.

What shook Melt the most was that she recognized their faces.

“No…! Why!? Kash! Grant! Rikka!”

They were the trio of rookie adventurers she had recently spent a lot of time with.

They gave no reply, unmoving, bloodless—appearing lifeless. In that moment, blood rushed to Melt’s head in a surge of fury.

It was the first time in her life she had experienced such a feeling.

She had lost her grandmother at a young age and had been forced to live alone without truly understanding death. She had no close friends and had lived purely for survival. Though she was nearing adulthood, she hadn’t developed the emotions that normally come with it. She had never had anyone nearby to lash out at or be angry with.

“I’ll kill it.”

With a burst of speed, Melt dashed forward, slicing open the monster’s mouth with her knife. The creature’s skin was grotesque and smooth, like black rubber. She freed Rikka—who had been dangling by one arm from the creature’s jaws—and pulled her to safety.

“…She’s still alive. She’s breathing…!”

She quickly placed Rikka into a nearby wooden crate, pushed it to the corner of the room—somewhat roughly, but it was the safest option at the moment.

“The other two… I can feel their presence! I’ll kill this thing first…!”

Of the three, Grant was the most severely injured—his lower body twisted beyond recognition. Yet Melt could still faintly sense his breathing.

But he was lying too close to the strange creature, making it difficult to rescue him immediately.

Melt gripped her dual knives tightly and took a battle stance.

The monster was unlike anything she had ever seen or heard of, and she hesitated, unsure how to approach it.

Melt’s strength came from two things: her overwhelming knowledge and her perfectly honed experience. Thus, she was vulnerable against completely unknown enemies—ones that couldn’t be tackled with learned strategies.

“What is this thing…? It’s not a beast… not a dragon or a lizard… its skin looks like tanned hide…”

The monster was glossy and rubbery, almost like a stream-lined blob. Suddenly, what she assumed was the head split open, revealing a jaw filled with countless sharp teeth.

If Shizuma, a person from Earth, were here, he might have said it looked like an alien.

Even so, Melt quickly stepped in, aiming for what was clearly its head.

“What the—!?”

But at that moment, a long tongue shot out from the creature’s mouth, moving with surprising speed even for someone as fast as Melt. It slithered rapidly across the floor toward her.

Still—

“Hrah!”

Without hesitation, Melt stabbed the tongue with one of her knives and stomped it down, pinning it to the floor.

With the tongue and head immobilized, she readied her remaining knife and lunged, driving it deep into the monster’s body with her full weight.

The knife had been given to her by Shizuma—an item from their gaming days. It was longer, sturdier, and sharper than ordinary blades.

Her expertly executed thrust caused the monster to rear back in pain, clearly wounded.

Seizing the moment, she picked up the fallen Grant and gently placed him inside the same crate as Rikka.

“…Kash is the last one… he’s behind it… what do I do…”

The monster, now unable to move freely, was violently thrashing—trying to rip out its own tongue.

Melt decided to wait for the moment when it hurt itself and staggered in pain, keeping a close watch.

And then—she saw it.

With her sharp eyes, she spotted something—a weak point on the creature.

“…! What is this supposed to mean…?”

The discovery filled Melt with hesitation.

A doubt: “Is it really okay to kill this thing?”

“I want to kill it… but…”

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairway leading outside—

“What’s all this commotion…?”

When they arrived at the underground warehouse district, the guards from other merchant associations, who had already sensed that something was wrong, were all fortifying their own warehouses.

No one was trying to resolve the incident—each only moved to protect their own property. Given the nature of this auction, perhaps that was the rational decision.

But still…

“Mr. Auctioneer, President—please store the goods inside the warehouse. I’ll gather information.”

“Understood. Come, let’s go.”

He quickly asked a nearby guard about the situation. Apparently, one of the warehouses had been attacked, and they’d heard an inhuman roar coming from that direction.

Not human? Then there’s a chance whatever it is might start rampaging uncontrollably.

“Which warehouse is it?”

“I don’t know exactly… but it came from that way.”

Running in the direction the guard pointed, the noise grew louder than before.

At the same time, the warehouse belonging to the Pigeon Trading Company came into view. Did the incident happen near there?

“President! It seems the incident occurred nearby! Where are Letty and Melt!?”

“T-They’ve vanished! There’s no sign of forced entry into the warehouse, though…”

“Hm… This doesn’t seem like just a simple raid. I’ll contact the upper floors and call for reinforcements.”

The auctioneer began operating the communication device inside the warehouse.

…If the two of them are missing, does that mean they’re involved in resolving this?

Given their personalities, it was certainly possible.

“I’ll go investigate the area. Just in case, both of you should close the warehouse door and stay inside.”

“Understood! You be careful too, Same!”

As Same checked the surrounding warehouses, he discovered one with no guards.

But judging by its location, it had to have belonged to some trading company.

Then, loud crashing sounds erupted from the staircase leading to the underground level—he rushed toward it.

“What—! Melt!?”

What he saw was Melt, cautiously brandishing her weapons and watching a massive monster.

A monster so huge it clearly couldn’t have come through the warehouse entrance. Its presence here was baffling.

Moreover… though hard to describe, it was a monster whose appearance didn’t match this world.

It didn’t look natural… It had a sci-fi feel to it.

“Same! What do I do about this thing!?”

“What’s going on!? Why is there a monster here!?”

“I don’t know! I think it’s with the thieves! Letty’s chasing the other humans! This thing… maybe I should kill it, but maybe not!”

“What do you mean!?”

Melt was hesitating over whether to kill the enemy. Did she have a reason?

“Same! This thing’s a monster, but it used to be human! Someone I know is inside it!”

“What did you say!?”

Huh? A person? Inside? Someone she knows?

“Same, can you weaken it without killing it?”

“…I think I can.”

“Then do you have any healing methods? Potions or magic?”

“I do.”

What’s she checking for…? Wait—there’s blood around here…

“Melt, are you hurt!?”

“Not me! Three of my adventurer friends—critically injured!”

“Got it. Melt, give this to them. I’ll handle this thing.”

He tossed Melt three potions—the same kind he had previously given Letty.

Melt sprang into action, and as the monster reacted, Same stepped in between them to shield her.

What the hell is this thing…? It doesn’t feel like a living creature…

Like a rubber creature… something out of a Western sci-fi movie.

It definitely doesn’t look like anything from nature… more like something manmade.

“And it… used to be human?”

Then he saw it.

Inside the monster’s wide-open mouth—he saw it while the creature was retracting its slashed tongue.

Deep inside… a familiar face.

“No way… Muraki…?”

It was Muraki—a former classmate.

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