Chapter 41 – Famiras

Shiiiiiin!! A high pitched metal sound echoes as Famiras pushes away the man he just beat up.

“Ahh, I’m not as good with a sword after all.”

About a dozen men lay sprawled around Famiras, as he grumbled.

“Did I chip the blade?….. Okay, good, I didn’t……. Oh?”

Checking the sword for any damage, Famiras releases a relieved sigh. At the same time, a single man rolls out of the store Famiras was facing away from.

“Y-yo….you!!”

“Who, me?”

“This is all your fault!!”

Famiras indifferently turns to look at the man who notices him and returns the look with angry eyes.

“It’s your faulllltttt!!!!!”

“……What do you mean it’s my fault?”

“You!! If only you weren’t around!!

“……”

Picking up a sword that was lying nearby, the man attacks Famiras who bends his body to avoid the swinging blade, sending the man tumbling forward.

“Ugh.”

“Hey, you, didn’t you come into contact with Al before you came out of there? Still, he let you get away with just having your sword taken away from you, right?”

“……Tsk.”

Noticing the empty scabbard by the man’s waist, Famiras leans over and asks in a truly fed up voice.

“So, why are you attacking me again? If you just slipped away obediently, then, neither Al nor I would stop you.”

“Shut uuup!! You think I could run away alone when you’ve done this to my comrades?!?”

“But, aren’t you running away because Al threatened you? Did you come attacking me after I did your friends in because you couldn’t stand leaving them?”

“T-that’s right! Anything wrong with that!?”

“Nah. It’s not wrong, per se. However,…”

Famiras, who laughed at the man’s answer, trailed off in the middle of his sentence and turned his eyes to the store’s entrance.

“Did you honestly think you could point your sword at us again and still be safe?”

Alhart continues Famiras’ sentence as he exits the store.

“Fara, catch.”

“Oh, thanks.”

Both men lightly threw each other’s weapons and caught it with firm hands.

The man who was still lying down turned pale and shook as soon as he saw Alhart’s face.

Standing in front of the man, Ahart released a huge sigh.

“I never expected to see your face again several minutes after I told you to scram.”

“Sh-shut uuuuup!! Y-you, didn’t you hurt my comrades?!?”

“Yeah, but wasn’t it you who made the first move?”

“That’s……!?”

The man started to get worked up at Famiras’ words. However, upon seeing the expression Famiras wore, the man promptly kept his mouth shut.

“I’m afraid you misunderstood. You were the ones who attacked us before, same as now. We’re just retaliating as a form of self-defense.”

Continuing in an icy tone, Famiras wore an expression that was void of any emotion, as if all other feelings had left him.

“We didn’t really intend to go as far as taking your lives……”

“You didn’t have the intention of taking our lives? But, you see, the attack spells your buddies fired in desperation hurt my friend. He’s not really dead, but he can’t hold his sword again. After some trial and error, he still failed many times and was frustrated, until he found a way to live, thanks to that one moment you stole from him.”

“Th-that’s……”

“I get it. It doesn’t necessarily make you the bad guy in our eyes. It was also caused by his carelessness and lack of ability, after all. However, if there were someone we could direct our hatred to, then, that would be you.”

“No way……”

“You see, we never forgive anyone who hurts our friends.”

“Too bad. If only you had just run away when I gave you the chance……”

“Wa-wait!”

Fearing he might get killed, the man somehow manages to pull himself up and, with a shaky voice, begged Famiras to stop just as he was about to cut him down.

“I did wait.”

“……Eh?”

Famiras frowned at the man’s reaction.

“It’s been 3 days since we arrived in Fiminan. I was waiting for you guys to show up. It was later than I thought, so I got tired of waiting.”

“Then, we were……”

“Shall I explain it to you?”

With a grin, Famiras lowered his spear and crouched in front of the man.

“When the first ones escaped, I let the ones who were left hear where we were headed to next. It’s because the escapees were essential in bringing down the others. They would be coming to us themselves, you see.”

“……”

“I told them where we were headed to next, and let the guys who showed up today, escape. I honestly wondered if they would come or not, but, well, they came after all. At any rate, even if you guys are used to robbing, being robbed is a different thing altogether. You were robbed of your pride as thieves when you lost to us, so in order to take back that pride, your only choice was to win against us. You really helped me when you gathered the other escapees. Thanks to you, I was able to beat up the guys who hurt my comrades without restraint.”

“…… you devil!!”

“Hah!! Did we look like angels or something? Unfortunately for you, we’re closer to devils, you know?”

We can choose based on the contents, but as long as it’s a ‘request’, anything is possible.

We are that kind of human.

Because we are called a ‘mercenary guild’, most of the requests are either connected to providing security or, during times of war, additional war forces. But, on rare occasions, some dubious requests also come in.

Most of those requests are undertaken by ‘assassins’, but it doesn’t mean that such requests never come to us.

We are never, by any means, justice.

Those belonging to The Dipterous Sword know it well.

Most people make the wrong impression from the start.

But, we don’t care how the public sees us.

We do it because it is a ‘request’. It does not matter whether it is evil or justice.

It may be definitely wrong in the public’s eyes, it may earn criticism, appreciation, or it may please them.

I don’t know how many people have already judged me.

But, the most important thing to me are my friends.

People around the world may point fingers behind my back, but it’s fine as long as my friends would laugh and walk next to me.

“It’s a pity, but you picked a fight with the wrong people. Even if you didn’t come to take revenge for last time, you were set to be annihilated in the end.”

“Huh?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? You hurt our comrades after all. There are various ways of taking care of and disposing of you guys, so it’s no use even if you run, actually.”

“Wh-what the hell is that……”

“Well, it’s bad for the despairing side, but die while despairing.”

A flash.

The expression of the man who ceased talking was truly that of a human who despaired in the world.

“You can die right after despairing, and you’ll still be happy, right? Living while despairing is one form of hell, after all.”

“What’s that, Fara? Are you talking about yourself?”

Alhart was met with laughter when he yawned as he asked Famiras, who had been mumbling while looking at the dead man.

“It’s about everyone in The Dipterous Sword.”

“Ahh……of course.”

“Well, it’s something that I’ve already overcome. Despair broke us, and it also made us stronger. I will never yield to the despair of other people again.”

“That’s right.”

Nodding at Famiras’ words, Alhart turns back to the man.

“This happened because you made the wrong choice, o-nii-san.”

The murmured words merely echoed quietly and disappeared.