Act 1: Chapter 34: Lovis
I tried to check Lovis’s level with 《Status Check》.
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Lovis Laudgrey
Race :Human
Lv :181
HP :94/796
MP :427/778
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「J-Just… Level 181.」
This was not even something that could be called a fight from the very beginning.And yet, he kept bragging like he was some sort of OP character.
And I even got tricked since the way he talked smelled like danger.
I had mistaken them as some sort of dangerous people who received orders from their superior. I mean, they even used dangerous sounding names like illegal mercenaries, along with their rogue-like outfit that basically screamed “I’m an evil badass!”.
「J-Just level 181…. You say?」
Lovis was glaring at me with a look as if he couldn’t believe what he just heard.
When I looked into his eyes, he retreated while shrieking like a girl.
Both Damia and Yozakura jumped in front of Lovis to block my advance.
「Lovis-sama! Please make your escape while we buy you some ti–!」
「You guys, get back! Who told you guys to protect met?!」
Lovis screamed at the two with his head hung low.
His subordinates’ body trembled upon hearing that and then stepped back.
Though Lovis should understand by this point that he was no match for me, he seemed to have some sort of trump card.
Or else, he simply didn’t wish for his subordinates to protect him.
Despite what he said about them being outlaws, or doing illegal stuff and so, he seemed to have his pride as their group’s leader.
No, I can’t let my guard down, I…. He might have some sort of ace-in-the-hole that could ignore the difference between our levels.
If that was the case, I’d have to raise my vigilance.
Just when I expected some sort of heaven defying item to come out, Lovis suddenly knelt on the ground and then, genuflected with a swift, and trained movement. [TL : Genuflect = Dogeza]
「Let us g— Nay, Please spare our lives! Please with this…!」
「EEEH….」
You gave up too fast….
His current actions made me doubt whether he was the very person who attacked me a while ago.
Something like this was… I tried to look at Lovis’ subordinates who stood behind him to confirm the situation but it seemed that they’re as confused as me.
「This one understands very well of his own immaturity by attacking one-sidedly. P-Please spare our lives and in exchange…. You may order me— Nay, please order us to act like your limbs! 」
Lovis basically rubbed his forehead to the soil as if he wanted to drill a hole in the soil with his head.
「L-Lovis-sama, I misjudged you… for you to be so desperate to keep your life to the point of exposing such shameful sight is…」
Damia said those words with a crestfallen look on his face.
Yup, I agreed with him.
I mean, a normal human wasn’t supposed to be this “desperate” when they’re begging for their life.
While it was true that they attacked me one-sidedly while acting as if they’re the king of the mountains, even I, their victim, felt that genuflecting like this was over exaggerating.
「C-Could it be that your words about dying in battle being your greatest joy was… just a lie? Though I don’t want you to die, this is just too…」
Yozakura’s words hit right on Lovis’ sore spot.
「Shut up, I’m begging for your lives too!」
Lovis’s fist hit the ground.
「I did say that my greatest wish is to die in the battle! But, like hell, anyone wants to die due to the giant rock that happened to fallen down from Heaven!」[TL : Basically that giant rock fallen from heaven is Kanata, a proverb]
Lovis shouted loudly until his spit flew out of his mouth.
I-I see now, so he doesn’t want to die by accident huh.
「Listen Damia, Yozakura, let me give you some advice. A monster that defies logic really does exist in this world. I met that kind of person around ten years ago. I became conceited at first but, one thing I understood from that encounter was to NEVER consider them as the same kind of human like us. There’s no shame in begging for our life when we’re facing them. It’s like when you’re praying to gods, you’re deprecating yourself, right? I rather lower myself in front of them than lose my life due to stupid reasons. That’s why you two bow down quickly and ask for his forgiveness like me!」
Both Damia and Yozakura exchanged bewildered looks to each other after they heard Lovis’s advice.
They finally bowed down in front of me after Lovis continuously glared at them.
W… what in the hell are you people doing?
「Err, I actually don’t care about your attack on me, that’s why please just leave me alone…」
I mean, I wanted to avoid killing people if possible.
I was vaguely aware, from Lunaire’s story, that the act of killing wasn’t something rare in this world.
But, I, myself, won’t kill if I deemed it as unnecessary.
Though I wanted to hand them over as criminals to the closest town to this place, the problem was, I was completely clueless about the norm in this world.
So I would rather not do something as troublesome as that.
It was a different matter if it turned out that Lovis and co. were prone to cause some sort of trouble but they really couldn’t do anything against me at their current level.
Suddenly, I noticed that Yozakura raised her head and rubbed her forehead to the ground again upon seeing Lovis still rubbing his forehead on the ground.
「… Well, in fact, I just have a small request for you guys.」
I told them those words.
Come to think of it, I had been curious about this since a while ago.
「Please, do tell us about your request, we’ll do everything to accomplish it!」
Lovis told me so, still rubbing his forehead on the ground.
… I wished he raised his head first, it was a rather difficult story after all.
「I want to go to the closest city, can you guys guide me to that city?」
I guess this request was rather reasonable for them.
They had no choice but to guide me there.
For me who doesn’t even know left from right, there was nothing better than the guide that wouldn’t be able to backstab me after all.
「I see! So you’re a visitor from afar! Then we will guide you to the closest city!」