"Ah? Second-in-command, but the boss..."
"The boss... is probably done for."
Harvey’s voice carried a hint of a tremor, as if he were struggling to suppress his grief.
"The information was wrong! That's no 【Heroic】 rank mage! That’s a monster who can instant-cast high-tier magic! We were deceived by that damn old geezer! We’ve bitten off more than we can chew!"
He took a deep breath, an infectious look of heart-wrenching sorrow appearing on his face as he made a "difficult" decision:
"For the safety of our brothers, hold this position! Surround them! If we wait until the First Young Master sends stronger reinforcements, that will be a success! Besides, I cannot sit by and watch my brothers die for nothing as mere fodder!"
These words were spoken with righteous indignation, but Harvey’s heart was pounding frantically.
Damn it, I knew those two weren't pushovers!
That kind of seemingly harmless duo is in the top ten of the "Do Not Provoke List" in those bard stories!
It’s too eerie... Luckily, I had the sense to stay back and didn't rush forward!
Thinking this, the last spark of "greed" in Harvey’s eyes—the devilish temptation that had been whispering in his ear: "Maybe he’s already out of mana," "You’re just one step away from a great achievement," "Harvey! Riches are found in risk!"—completely vanished.
To hell with riches found in risk; I want steady security!
Anyway, that idiot Kofman is dead, and the situation has long since spiraled out of control.
A glint of shrewd calculation flashed in Harvey’s fox-like eyes.
Now, even if I do nothing, as long as I can make it back alive, who else is going to take the position of chief if not me?
Since a win is already guaranteed by just lying low, why should I risk my life?
So, the best thing for me to do right now is—play it safe! I’d rather do nothing than make a mistake!
This is the ultimate strategy!
"But..."
A loyal underling scratched his head hesitantly. "Second-in-command, I... I think I heard the boss groan just now. Maybe he can still be saved..."
"Shut up, you idiot!"
Before Harvey could lose his temper, an exceptionally observant underling beside him whipped around.
Slap!
A heavy palm struck the talkative underling's face, spinning him around on the spot.
"Second—no! How dare you question the Chief's decision?!"
The thug then dropped to one knee with a thud, turning to Harvey with a nearly fawning tone of reverence. "The Chief is wise! That damn old fox lied to us! How on earth is that a 【Heroic】 rank mage!"
"Yeah... yeah..."
The other underlings were initially dazed, but seeing their companion still clutching his face, they immediately reacted and chimed in.
Among them, two or three grit their teeth in secret, only regretting that they weren't as fast as that bootlicker.
"The Chief is wise! We’ll listen to you!"
"You, you're not bad!"
Harvey sized up the clever underling before him with satisfaction. Although his fox-like face still wore a mask of sorrow, the upward curve of his lips was becoming increasingly difficult to suppress.
"What’s your name?" He adjusted his expression and patted the thug's shoulder.
"This lowly one is named Zaka!"
"Good, Zaka. You have a bright future." Harvey waved his hand grandly, looking high-spirited. "Everyone, hear my orders! Hold your ground and wait for reinforcements! No one is allowed to take another step forward! Anyone who dares to disobey doesn't value our brothers' lives! And they don't respect me as their leader!"
"Yes, sir!"
Inside the room.
Leo and the other heard the commotion in the hallway shift from agitated to silent, until only a faint "The Chief is wise" remained.
"Heh, interesting."
Listening to the sounds outside, the corner of Leo’s mouth curled into a playful arc.
He glanced lazily out the window. The dark figures surrounding the building below had not dispersed, but they were merely standing guard; no one dared to be the first to stick their neck out.
"He’s a smart man. Saves me some trouble."
The situation was at a temporary stalemate, which suited him perfectly.
Leo turned around and slowly sauntered over to the cat-person beggar who had been tied up like a bundle by him and Lucrezia and tossed onto the floor. He crouched down, resting his elbow casually on his knee and tilting his head. In a tone that was almost conversational, he teased:
"Alright, stop faking. I know you're awake."
Seeing that the other was still playing dead, Leo reached out a finger and lightly flicked the tip of the little cat-person’s ear, which was twitching slightly from tension.
"If you don't get up, I’m going to start poking~"
The "corpse" on the floor visibly stiffened.
Leo toyed with a crystal-clear ice spike in his hand, twirling it nimbly between his fingers like a pen.
Suddenly, the ice spike stopped, its chilly tip lightly pressing against the cat-person’s throat. His tone remained relaxed, yet it was bone-chilling:
"Speak. What are you here for?"
"Meow! You idiot!"
The beggar let out a muffled groan. Seeing that the act was blown, she simply stopped pretending.
She snapped her head up, her small face covered in dust and bloodstains. A pair of amber cat eyes flew open indignantly, and she let out a string of insults with a very high "meow" content:
"You’re blind as a dog! Couldn't you see that this meow isn't with them?!"
"Those losers from the Black Tail Gang aren't even worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as this meow! To think you'd lump me in with those idiots!"
The previous Arcane Trap, the Arcane Impact, plus Lucrezia's heavy-handed blow had indeed knocked her unconscious for a moment.
Now that she was awake, she felt a sweet taste of blood in her throat, and the back of her head throbbed with a burning pain.
"The Black Tail Gang? The ones who run the pawnshop?"
Leo keenly caught the key point, the ice spike still held against her throat without loosening in the slightest. "Since you aren't with them, why did you sneak into our room in the middle of the night? To warm my bed?"
"Pah! Who wants to warm your bed! In your dreams!"
The cat-person beggar—Vespa—though tied up, spoke with a tone so righteous it was as if she were the judge:
"I came to save you! You moron!"
She puffed out her small, flat, yet principled chest:
"For the sake of those... those 5 copper coins that little runt gave me! This meow showed great mercy and wanted to give you a hand!"
This was, in fact, the truth.
Vespa’s original plan was actually quite "perfect": she would wait for the Black Tail Gang to move, and when things got chaotic, she would descend like a god from the heavens, using her exquisite thief skills to save these two fat sheep. Then, she would use the opportunity to cause more chaos and draw away any pursuers.
As for after the rescue... taking most of the money on them as a reward for "saving their lives"—wasn't that perfectly reasonable and in line with the principle of equivalent exchange?
Paying with money to save your life was only natural!
Vespa grew angrier the more she thought about it. Her perfect plan of "saving the heroes and then robbing them" had been completely derailed by this monster mage who didn't play by the rules.
"I was kind enough to give you a signal at the street corner, warning you that you were being watched! But you two idiots just stood there with moronic looks on your faces. You deserved to be slaughtered like fat sheep!"
She was so angry her cat ears drooped:
"But then! You sneaky bastard actually played the fool to catch the wise, wiping out the Black Tail Gang in a few moves! You didn't give me a chance to make my entrance at all!"
"Oh? So, does that mean I should thank you for saving my life?"
Rate on N.U.
