After Colin finished his information exchange with Frondier, he saw him and his companions off and closed the shop door.
It was nearing closing time, and he had to move quickly to keep up with Frondier's plan. More importantly, this place was dangerous now, so he had to relocate as soon as possible.
As his hands busily moved around the cupboards,
[Are you sure it's wise to trust that man?]
A voice drifted up from the basement stairs and reached his ears.
Colin replied with his usual expression.
“I told you. This isn't a judgment call. It's a gut feeling.”
This time, it was a different voice.
[That man is certainly strong, but not worth betraying a connection like Charon. Are you unaware of the risks?]
“What's done is done.”
[You're being too naive. There's no telling when Charon might find out and storm this place. There's no guarantee that man, Frondier, will save you,]
Cling.
Just then, the shop bell rang.
Colin raised his head.
“I apologize. We’re closed for the,”
Colin trailed off as he saw the man who had entered.
“……day. Lord Charon.”
“So it seems.”
Charon, the man Colin had addressed, narrowed his eyes coldly from behind his long white hair.
Colin blinked a couple of times, momentarily stunned by the sight, before resuming his closing duties.
“What brings you here?”
Charon, ignoring Colin's question, took his time to examine the shop, as if searching for something.
Meanwhile, Colin organized the cupboards, closed the shutters, and locked them with a key.
“I came to hear a report.”
“A report, you say?”
“A man, accompanied by four women with outlandish appearances, didn’t happen to stop by, did he?”
“They haven't.”
Colin replied, inserting the last key into the lock.
It had always been a ‘locked door,’
“──Is that so.”
And now, it was time.
Whirr!
From the shelf, he pulled out and equipped a magic tool, a silver knuckle that fit on his finger.
Crack—
“!!”
The moment the knuckle created a magic barrier in front of him, it was torn apart by Charon's sword.
Thwack!
Through the gap in the torn barrier, Charon's kick flew through.
Crash!
The wall leading to the basement was smashed once again,
Thud! Boom!
Colin tumbled down the basement stairs.
“……Huff……!”
He barely managed to break his fall and looked up to see Charon leisurely approaching, step by step.
“Colin, do you know?”
Thud, with each step, words flew at him.
“The question I just asked,”
Thud
“Was my last act of mercy towards you.”
Colin slowly backed away as he listened to Charon's words.
His thoughts were simple.
──How did he find out?
It had only been a few hours since Frondier and his group had left; there was no way he could have been informed in such a short time. It should have taken days, if not half a day.
Moreover, even if he had been caught, it would still take considerable time for Charon to travel from his usual whereabouts to this place.
‘He already suspected me and came here today to test me? Did he see through my lie?’
Just now, Colin had answered in the same way he always did.
Charon hadn't noticed his lies in the same manner before. So he shouldn't have noticed this time either.
And even if he had sensed a hint of deception, he wouldn't have acted so rashly without any concrete evidence.
Whoosh—
Crack!
Charon's sword swung down from above. Colin rolled out of the way. The blade scraped harshly against the ground, and Colin, smelling the dust, pushed himself up with his elbow.
‘He has fresh information. He already knew about Frondier's movements long before I made the deal.’
Then, where from?
Was it a person? Or a means?
Thud!
Colin ran towards the door. The small room he always used to receive secret guests.
And also the room where those who shared his will resided.
However,
Pierce!
“……!”
The blade pierced through Colin's thigh as he tried to escape.
It wasn't just the pain; Colin fell to his knees from the sudden dizziness and nausea.
‘Poison?’
As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he used his remaining good leg to roll forward.
In that empty space, Charon's sword sliced through horizontally.
“You're quite agile in that state.”
“……Do Paladins use poison too?”
Colin forced the words out through his barely moving lips.
Charon looked down at him and said.
“They do not.”
“……I see.”
He understood what that meant. Colin didn't ask any further.
Charon looked at Colin with a mixture of boredom and annoyance in his eyes, as if observing him.
“That expression of yours doesn't change no matter what I do. I was a little curious. Do you truly not feel any emotions or pain?”
“I feel both. Even now, intensely.”
Scrape, scrape—
Using his elbow and his one good leg, Colin pushed himself back, putting a small distance between them.
Charon asked.
“Still want to go to that room?”
“Would you let me if I said yes?”
“Of course not.”
Charon himself was once a guest of that room. Naturally, he would know its layout. There was no way he would let Colin go.
“You die here, Colin.”
Charon raised his blade. Colin could no longer run. He wouldn't be able to dodge the sword with his limping movements.
Charon swung the blade down without hesitation, and
Slash!
In the spot where the sword would have struck,
[……Caw.]
A crow appeared.
“……Huh?”
“?”
Both Charon and Colin looked at the crow, sliced in half, in surprise.
The crow lay on Colin's stomach. It had taken the brunt of Charon's attack and was obviously mortally wounded. It was still alive, but its life wouldn't last more than a few seconds,
[Came to meet Frondier, but ended up saving a weirdo like you.]
The crow opened its eyes wide and spoke.
It was far too composed a voice for a crow on the verge of death.
And besides, how could a crow speak human language…?
“What is this monster?”
Charon frowned and muttered. The situation was so bizarre that he unconsciously called it a monster.
[Monster, you say? You don't even recognize a crow?]
“Get lost.”
“Ugh?!”
Clang!
The moment the crow was momentarily flung away, Colin rolled out of the way. The sword clattered loudly as it struck the ground. Every time his leg touched the floor, it was so painful he felt tears welling up, but at least he was alive.
The crow, whatever it was, was trying to save him. That alone was enough justification for his desperate struggle to survive.
“You think you can escape,”
Caw—
Once again, another crow was struck by Charon's swinging blade and fell. It was a different crow this time.
The other crow, lying sprawled on the ground, opened its eyes wide and spoke in the same voice.
[Ah, you killed another one. You murderous bastard.]
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