Chapter 35: Preemptive Strike

“Seems he’s a man beyond the rumors.”

“I never thought he could use abbreviated casting so easily. What was all our previous effort for?”

“His tracking skills are pretty good too, and I think his sense of presence is excellent. I noticed him glancing around Farana from time to time.”

“A spirit… Some people mention that, but nothing special seems to happen because of it.”

“Well, they say that only those with excellent presence detection can perceive spirits, and no one has ever actually seen one. If it’s not harmful, then that’s good enough.”

Avoiding small wild beasts that triggered my tracking, I continued north.

I hoped to find a big hornboar or a high orc, but nothing convenient appeared, and the sun began to set.

As always, the forest at night is a wild beast’s paradise. Their roaming and howling make it impossible to sleep without carefully managing both tracking and sense-of-presence detection.

Once I released the magic I had been emanating, the forest became a pitch-black, eerie world. Even with my eyes closed, I couldn’t sleep easily.

This is the perfect time to practice my tree spirit illusion: I covered myself with a tarp and thought, I’m a little Jizo statue, just a random stone on the ground, and tried to sleep.

In the forest, unlike a grassland, collapsing from exhaustion while emitting magic is dangerous.

I know I can defend against wolves or hornboars, but in an unfamiliar forest, I have no idea what other beasts may be present, so I cannot trust completely.

A little sleep-deprived but in perfect health, I noticed a group of orcs that had triggered my tracking but hadn’t moved.

Cautiously sneaking up, they seemed to be eating. I hit them with three consecutive Whirlwinds! spells, making them stagger. They sat down and vomited what they had eaten.

I sneaked behind one of the dazed orcs, aiming for the carotid artery with my knife. It was razor-sharp; avoiding the spurting blood, I moved behind the next one and stabbed at its heart with a short spear.

The third noticed me and reached out, but its body wobbled, and it missed. I moved behind it for safety and stabbed.

The short spear and knife I bought at the adventurer’s shop were in a completely different league, and I was extremely satisfied.

Next, I wanted to test how a big hornboar would fare when stabbed from the side through to the heart with a short spear. By early afternoon, I had confirmed it.

Not as strong as Olga’s group, but the spear’s sharpness allowed me to finish it with a single thrust. This saved the effort of using magic to shoot a spear.

I sold my prey at the guild, pocketing 270,000 Dara, and went to the tavern.

Carrying a mug of ale to an empty seat, I noticed adventurers who had been with the men I’d seen before subtly watching me.

They seemed like agents of the Warrens Trading Company, but I couldn’t be sure. Looks like I’ll continue staying at the hotel for a while.

Every day, I ate breakfast at the guild, wandered the grasslands during the day, and returned in the evening to enjoy ale at the tavern.

The same men always drank in the back with other adventurers, glancing at me occasionally—it was clear they were watchers.

On the fourth night, while relaxing at the hotel, there was a knock. The receptionist said, “Someone from the Warrens Trading Company is here requesting to meet you.”

I scribbled a note on scrap paper, gave it to the receptionist along with a silver coin, and asked her to deliver it to the guild’s front desk, then headed to the tavern.

Standing next to the reception desk was a butler-like man who nodded as he recognized me.

“Are you Leon-sama?”

“I am Leon. How can I help you?”

“I am a representative of the Warrens Trading Company, Kreis Branch. I heard you recently supplied a large number of Chikki chikki Birds to the Adventurers’ Guild. The branch manager wishes to request something directly. If possible, we would like to send a carriage for you tomorrow. Could you kindly accommodate this?”

He was unusually deferential this time. I wasn’t sure what would happen if I went, but since the guild seemed to have some intentions as well, I agreed.

The receptionist’s face was brimming with curiosity as she watched the man leave, but I returned to my room, pretending not to notice.

That night, the second knock came, and the sub-master barged in.

His lack of manners irritated me, but his face was like an adventurer who sees prey trapped in a snare, and I couldn’t bring myself to complain.

“So, what’s the deal?”

“The branch manager wants to request something from me. They’ll send a carriage tomorrow.”

“Is that all?”

“Is there more?”

“Something threatening, at least…”

“The ones who followed other adventurers on the plains were brazen, but if they come to the hotel, they probably won’t say anything unnecessary. I’ve been invited, so I’ll go.”

“Warrens Trading Company… I hear Warrens himself is tenacious and has underlings, but he doesn’t show his hand easily.”

“So it’s just rumors because he doesn’t show his hand. The ones on the plains didn’t even hide their identities. If the invitation isn’t for a legitimate request, what then?”

“You… seem capable of handling yourself. Trustworthy people and the duke’s agents are on standby, so do as you wish.”

“If I do as I wish, people might die.”

The sub-master laughed, left with a single “Do your best,” and departed.

I wanted him to explain more, but I figured knowing wouldn’t help, so it didn’t matter. If things got messy, I’d just use Whirlwind from within the shelter for protection.

The carriage that came for me wasn’t luxurious but reasonably comfortable, moving quietly.

Amidst middle-class streets, a particularly large building appeared, and the carriage slipped into the compound through the back gate.

I’d heard they were grain merchants, but their clientele was diverse, so perhaps business in a high-class residential area would be inconvenient.

The man from yesterday greeted me and said, “I will show you around,” bowing as he led me inside. My doubts were soon resolved.

We entered a corridor beside the shop, opened the second door, and guards were waiting. “We’ll escort the guest,” they said, taking over from him.

Well, the atmosphere is terrible.

I finally understood what it means to be looked at like an insect.

The room I was dragged into by the arm was stark and utilitarian—sturdy walls, hooks and ropes, whips, tacky decorations, a solid door, and only a high window for light. It was clearly set up for a “welcome.”

Surrounded by eight waiting men and two guards, they asked.

“We came to fetch you via Corshe. What happened to Zeldas and the other five?” 

But since they were the accomplices of the person I’d dealt with, there was no need for restraint.

“Are they your comrades? That person hit me and demanded I hand over the Chikki chikki Birds.”

Before they could hit me, I struck first—the surefire way to win a fight. I created a Ring!—a whirlwind centered around me—and inverted the magic pouch filled with small stones over it.

The stones scattered immediately, hitting several of them. Some groaned, others shouted curses.

Sure, stones the size of fists would hurt, but the real action was just beginning.

Although the Ring was on bare ground with no dust, the stones spun and rolled with a thunderous noise. As I gradually expanded the Ring, rolling stones were repelled and became deadly again.

Like a pinball, they bounced off people and walls. The sheer number caused considerable damage, but killing everyone would be unwise, so I dissolved the Ring.

From those who didn’t move at all to those writhing in pain, there wasn’t a single person unscathed. Walls and doors were battered by the stones, and the racket had evidently drawn more footsteps approaching.

Emotions—anger, shock, and murderous intent—flooded my sense of presence detection. It didn’t look like anyone was getting out safely.

“What was that noise?”
“Inform the manager!”
“The door’s broken!”
“What happened?”
“Hurry up and open it!”

They clearly wanted the door open, so I decided to cooperate. I placed a head-sized stone on a Vertical Spin Ring! and launched it at the door.

BOOM! The stone hit the center of the door, shaking it violently.

The second shot hit the hinge of the right-side door, but it held stubbornly.

The third shot brought a thunderous crash, and the door fell—but despite all the voices earlier, no one was there.

The human presence was clustered along both sides of the corridor. Peeking carefully, the moment our eyes met, they all bolted.

One screamed, triggering a flood of others fleeing—a total uproar.

I had planned to leave quickly myself, but their cowardice made me furious.

I needed to confront the one who called them here.

I pushed a Whirlwind! into both sides of the corridor to “clean up” and followed, finding stairs leading to the second floor.

In light novels, the higher-ups’ offices are usually upstairs, with guards stationed outside.

For safety, I sent a Whirlwind! ahead to secure the area.

“Hey, there’s a huge noise coming from inside the company.”
“I hear some screams too… What should we do?”

“Probably Leon is causing it.”
“How can you tell?”

“He said people might die. He seems capable of using wind magic we don’t know. Wait until it quiets down, and tell the captain of the guards the same.”

“Really?”
“They say the prey he brings can’t be hunted with normal wind magic.”
“Looks like the commotion has moved to the second floor.”

I dissipated the first whirlwind that went upstairs, then created two new Whirlwinds! and sent them left and right, with a bonus command: Spin as much as possible!

I heard voices shouting “Run!” but the wind was so loud I couldn’t tell from where.

Knowing I’d reached the second floor, the human presence from downstairs began to gather, so I placed a Whirlwind! at the bottom of the stairs and commanded it to grow.

It surged through the corridors. After three minutes, it dissipated.

Wherever human presence remained, I pierced holes with my short spear and threw in a Whirlwind!

All the whirlwinds were set to medium power, so both the people and the room’s contents should be shredded.

“Now things are flying out the second-floor windows too.”
“Quite flashy.”

Sub-master Brox knew that angering Leon could leave the guild in ruins, so he mentally resolved to avoid making him angry.