Chapter 55 : Laugh

Madwoman Linda.

She fell from the cliff.

I stood and watched her shrink into a dot before vanishing into the fog.

I couldn’t see how it ended, but the height of the cliff told me enough—there was no surviving such a fall.

Not unless you had a Heavenly Demon lodged in your head, like me.

Linda was surely on her way to the underworld.

And somehow, I could picture her cheerfully greeting all the people she’d poisoned there, as if nothing were amiss.

“Huuuuh…”

I drew a deep breath.

The breeze sweeping across the wide-open horizon was refreshing beyond words.

It felt like it washed away every trace of poison from my body.

Wind whipped at my clothes and hair. I spread my arms and laughed into it.

“Hahahahaha…”

[Pathetic fool. You managed to live after all.]

“Hah! Of course. I’m not the type to die so easily in a place like this.”

The Heavenly Demon chuckled.

[Did it taste good?]

“Ha! Do you even need to ask?”

With laughter as clear as the sky, I stared out over the horizon—until I sensed movement behind me.

The masked men approached.

I turned.

Clack.

One by one, they removed their masks.

The man who had received the antidote earlier bowed deeply.

“Devil… thank you.”

The others followed, bowing their heads.

“Thank you, Devil.”

I looked at them silently.

The first man raised his head and said, “You told us speaking would cost our lives… but we couldn’t leave without giving proper thanks.”

He smiled faintly.

“Please forgive us this once.”

He looked to be in his forties—a refined, well-kept man. A true gentleman.

I regarded him for a moment, then asked, “What’s your name?”

“Curtis.”

“Curtis.”

“Yes.”

“What were you before this?”

He placed a hand to his chest and dipped his head slightly.

“I was a knight of the House of Count Stavanger.”

My eyes widened.

“Sir Curtis. A knight?”

He answered politely.

“Yes.”

No wonder. His aura had carried a weight the others lacked.

I glanced over the rest of them.

“And the others?”

Their replies came one after another.

Most had been servants, knights, tutors, stewards of noble houses.

So that explained the precise, disciplined movements when they’d prepared tea.

And the houses they named spanned across many noble families.

“No wonder.”

I laughed dryly.

Linda might not have gone after nobles directly, but she’d certainly trampled everything that belonged to them.

One of them said, “Thanks to you, we can all return to where we came from.”

I nodded, sweeping my gaze over their newly freed faces.

“You’ve suffered enough being dragged around by that madwoman. How does it feel to be free?”

A breeze rushed up from the cliff, tossing their hair and sleeves in wild freedom.

Curtis smiled.

“Like a dream.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Then laugh.”

“…Pardon?”

“Don’t just smirk like an idiot. Laugh properly. Like men. Loud, from your gut.”

No wonder—they’d been so long under Linda’s shadow, too afraid to even laugh. To me, they still didn’t look free.

“Laugh. Like this.”

I threw my head back and let out a booming laugh.

“Uahahahaha!”

They exchanged bewildered looks—then joined in.

“Hahahaha!”

“Wahaha!”

“Kahahaha!”

Their laughter grew louder and louder until it mingled with mine, rolling like thunder.

“Now toss those damned masks away!”

“Uwaahahaha!”

“Ahahaha!”

Masks flew into the wind, tumbling far into the sky.

“Shit, look at them go!”

“Wahaha!”

We laughed again, watching the masks vanish into the clouds.

At last, I cut my laughter short and asked, “Now—did that feel good?”

They answered with relieved faces.

“Yes!”

I nodded.

“Good. Then get lost.”

Curtis bowed once more.

“I will never forget this debt. Should fate allow us to meet again… I will repay it.”

The others echoed him, swearing to repay their debt, some with tears streaming down their faces.

I scowled and waved a hand.

“Do whatever you want. Just get out of here already. I’m a busy man.”

Curtis smiled faintly and flicked something from his pocket.

Thunk.

I caught it reflexively.

It gleamed, so I thought it was silver—but the shape was different, slightly larger.

“What’s this?”

Curtis replied,

“A token of the House of Count Stavanger, bearing its crest.”

“What the hell am I supposed to do with this? Should’ve just given me coin.”

Curtis chuckled.

“Worth more than a hundred gold pieces.”

I quickly slipped it into my robes.

“The truth is, I’ve got plenty of coins.”

“Yes. But if ever you require aid, bring this to House Stavanger. We will serve you with all our strength.”

So basically… a one-time noble house coupon.

I tilted my head.

“A mere knight can just hand this out? How’d you even get it?”

Curtis smiled.

“I held the rank of knight commander. I was entrusted with a few.”

“Knight commander?”

My eyes widened.

“…The knight commander got kidnapped?”

Curtis laughed bitterly, rubbing his neck.

That madwoman Linda… how the hell did she manage to snatch a noble family’s knight commander? Did she poison the whole household’s dinner?

I nodded.

“All right. I’ll put it to good use.”

“Yes. Please do.”

I looked around at the others.

“The rest of you—none of you are knight commanders, right? Any more of you hiding one?”

They shook their heads, smiling.

“None of us.”

“Then get the hell out.”

For some reason, that set them laughing again.

When their laughter died down, Curtis stepped forward as their spokesman once more, still wearing a faint smile.

“I hear royal knights are hunting you. May fortune keep you safe.”

“Sure.”

“Then, farewell.”

They bowed deeply, then filed away after Curtis.

I noticed then—the way Curtis moved was anything but ordinary. A knight commander of a count’s household, indeed.

For a moment I regretted not sparring with him before letting him go, but I wasn’t in the mood for a fight now.

I swallowed that regret—

“Devil! You are our hero!”

One of them suddenly shouted from a distance.

I waved a fist back at them.

“God, you talk too damn much. Shut your mouths and get lost already!”

They roared with laughter, “Wahaha!” before vanishing into the brush.

Silence returned to the clearing, broken only by the wind.

I glanced down at myself and grumbled.

“Click. Damn it, my clothes are ruined.”

Poison had eaten away patches, leaving skin exposed.

“Master. So? After all that, am I closer to this ‘Immunity to All Poisons’ thing?”

[You might manage immunity to a hundred poisons.]

“Not a thousand?”

[Not a chance.]

“Che.”

Still grumbling, I started toward the woods when—

A figure landed lightly through the rustling leaves.

“Ugh! The smell!”

Shushruta landed, clamping her nose shut, face twisted in disgust.

“What is that stench? Did you bathe in dung?”

I answered solemnly,

“Hey. Watch your mouth. That’s no way to talk to a comrade.”

“Ugh. The stench is unbearable.”

I scolded her fussing.

“Quit overreacting. It’ll blow away soon enough in the wind.”

She grimaced.

“…Not a chance. This is beyond wind.”

I shot her a glare.

“Oh? Since when do you talk like that? That actually sounds better.”

She replied shamelessly,

“Perhaps I caught it from you.”

“Don’t go blaming me, woman.”

“Ugh. Just don’t come near me. The smell is unbearable.”

I trudged ahead toward the mountain.

“No time to waste. Let’s go.”

“Not before you wash. My nose might fall off.”

“If we pass a stream, I’ll wash then. Hold it in.”

“Ugh… I’ll go ahead.”

She hurried past me, nose pinched, then glanced back, voice muffled.

“But are you all right? I saw you gulp down deadly poison.”

“Oh, now that you mention it—might be my breath stinks too.”

I blew a puff her way.

She recoiled in horror.

“I had my own methods. I’m fine.”

“I saw you expel the poison through your fingertips. Was that mana?”

“Something like that.”

She marveled.

“Dark magic is truly terrifying. To purge poison like that…”

“…Not dark magic, I said.”

I watched her stalk ahead, keeping extra distance. Mischief stirred in me.

“Don’t you need to check your dagger again?”

“…No.”

“Earlier you said you had a mountain of things to check.”

“It’s not urgent.”

“No, no. Best to check while there’s time. Come here. I’ll even give you a piggyback ride.”

She flinched, then bolted farther ahead.

“D-don’t come near me!”

“Hehehe!”

“Eek! I said don’t!”

Two hours later.

Shushruta, unable to bear it any longer, found the sound of running water and led me to a stream.

Not even the direction we were headed; she grumbled the whole way.

At last we arrived at a clear mountain brook. The water was clean and fairly deep, with trees crowding around to frame a peaceful scene.

“Do you have spare clothes?” she asked.

“No. Why?”

“What? Then what will you do?”

“No choice. Wash these and wear them again.”

Her eyes went wide.

“Don’t even think of it. You’d walk around in reeking rags? Washing won’t fix that. Burn them!”

“……”

I blinked in surprise.

Had she ever been this angry? Not even when I smacked her a few times had she flared up like this.

I muttered, dazed, “Then what? I can’t walk around naked.”

She clicked her tongue.

“I’ll fetch clothes. You just wash.”

“From where?”

She pointed downhill.

“There was a small village at the foot of the mountain. I’ll be quick. You, scrub yourself clean.”

“…Fine.”

I stripped off my top.

“Eek! Do that after I leave!” she yelped, spinning away.

“Touchy today, aren’t we?”

I grumbled, but she suddenly extended an arm without turning back.

“You can’t wash while holding a dagger. I’ll keep it.”

No chance. I hung my filthy shirt on her arm instead.

She jumped, shrieking,

“Yaaah! Why give me this! Now the stench is on me!”

Snickering, I tugged off my trousers and tossed them at her.

“Hurry up and fetch them, then.”

She dodged, muttering curses as she stormed down the slope.

I stripped off the rest, leaving only my underclothes, and set my sword neatly aside.

With the dagger clenched between my teeth, I waded into the stream.

“C-cold!”

Dunking my head, I scrubbed away every trace of poison.

Even the fatigue seemed to wash away.

“Ahh… that’s better.”

Floating on the surface with the dagger still between my teeth, I let myself drift like a leaf.

Time passed quietly.

Then—

I sensed movement.

Lifting my head, I locked eyes with a figure in black perched on the rocks.

He held my sword in his hands.

“…Huh?”

Dash!

The thief bolted with my blade.

I could only gape, bobbing in the stream, stunned.

The next instant, more figures in black dropped down from the surrounding trees.

Muttering around the dagger clenched in my teeth, I cursed,

“…You sons of bitches.”

(End of Chapter)

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