Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

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“So, where’re those guys meeting up today?”

“…That tall column over there. The column…”

The Hunter Follower stammered as he struggled to convey the information. His voice was laced with fear, suggesting the shock therapy had really taken effect.

I suddenly realized that Apta’s ability to control her presence was incredibly versatile—she could adjust her aura to the point of mental contamination without causing her target to faint, and in the end, they just couldn’t hold back and spilled the beans.

I smiled at Apta, who looked confused, as if she didn’t quite get it.

“Thanks! Thanks to you, I got some valuable information.”

“…Thank you?”

“Yes! Of course!”

For some reason, Apta said something ambiguous and suddenly turned towards me.

I wondered what she was up to, and lo and behold, she was about to leap at me again.

In a reflex, I blocked her cheek with my hand.

“What, what’s going on?!”

“Isn’t it what you do when someone’s grateful? You do whatever you want!”

“No, no! Wait! Given the place, let’s calm down for now…!”

Apta puffed her cheeks in discontent and grumbled, but at least she wasn’t forcing the issue any further. Guess that meant she didn’t want to do things I didn’t like.

“…Thanks, Apta.”

“See you after this.”

“…Ugh.”

Watching her point a finger at me while sulking, I felt a bit awkward.

Well, once this is over, I suppose I can’t say no to anything.

I smiled at Apta, and she blushed slightly before disappearing somewhere.

Now that her job was done, she probably went back to her usual spot.

“Hmm.”

I silently stared at the Hunter Follower.

I could let him go, but the fact that he was gossiping behind my back was still bothering me.

It was good that he provided information, but this was a different matter.

As if reading my gaze, the follower shook his eyes wildly as he crawled closer to me.

“P-please! I swear, I don’t know anything else!”

“Yeah, seems that way. But that’s not the problem.”

I gave the Hunter Follower the warmest smile I could muster.

Maybe it was because it was not the kind of smile that should be given in this situation, but his face turned increasingly pale.

“I can’t forgive you for stirring up gossip about me.”

“…!”

I whistled.

Just then, I heard a ‘huff huff’ sound coming from somewhere as something charged toward me swiftly.

To me, it sounded like a little patter, but maybe to the follower, it was a different sound.

Tears were already streaming down his face.

“Bell.”

“Human!”

Bell came barreling toward me and plopped down in front of me.

Well, I do have some sense of decency; I wouldn’t do something horrific.

“I’ve got a chat with the Knights now, so I’m gonna be a bit busy.”

“Huh?”

Did he not get what I was saying? The follower began shaking his head wildly, backing away.

“So, just hang out with that guy over there. Got it?”

“Understood, woof!”

“Not happening!”

The moment my words tumbled out, the follower let out a desperate scream, but Bell was already rushing towards him.

Thud.

Bell flattened the follower and started licking his face all over.

Hmm.

If Bell were actually a real dog, I’d say he’s more of a Golden Retriever than a wolf.

That level of friendliness towards just about anyone is pretty impressive.

With that, I turned and went on my way.

I could hear an even louder scream than when Apta showed up.

“Commander! I’ve brought the intel….”

Returning to the temporary shelter, I hurriedly sought out the Knight Commander to relay what I’d learned, but the atmosphere inside felt uneasy.

No, to be precise, everyone seemed to scrutinize me warily.

Why is that?

“Tanton….”

At that moment, the Deputy Director called my name.

His voice had a subdued tone that made me feel uneasy.

“Yes, Deputy Director.”

“…What did you do to that follower?”

“I just induced mental contamination using the outsiders.”

“…Really, is that all?”

“Hm? Yes, that’s right.”

Strangely enough, all the knights seemed to exhale in relief upon hearing those words.

What kind of reaction is that?

Are they seriously thinking I tortured him with those outsiders?!

What kind of image do they have of me, anyway?

Feeling a slight sting to my pride, the Knight Commander approached me with a sigh.

“So, what information did you gather?”

“They’re supposed to meet with the candle near that column in a bit.”

Upon hearing my words, the Knight Commander seemed deep in thought as he rubbed his chin.

Given that we were vastly outnumbered, he likely feared fatalities might occur.

The Knight Commander likely didn’t wish for unnecessary sacrifices.

“Deputy Director, how can we ensure no one dies while making a definitive return?”

“I think you and I should take the front line in the battle to engage.”

“That’s good, but doesn’t that mean we can’t protect the knights? This time, there’s a likelihood they will have overwhelming numbers, like in the last war with the candle. Moreover, the Hunter Follower is mixed in, making the difficulty even higher.”

“Hmm.”

“That’s true.”

The bandits operating under the Hunter Follower were significantly different from the bandits I was familiar with.

We managed to win last time since the number of bandits was low, and the Hunter Follower was caught off guard, but if their numbers increase, that would be another story.

I had kept Bell out longer than intended while looking for a path, and I even called Apta in for torture, so the duration of the party flute probably had little time left.

That meant there would soon be limits on summoning the divine race as well.

The only thing I could do now was bring over some powers, but…

That leads me to…

“Oh.”

At that moment, a thought brushed through my mind.

Most of the frontal combat was generally handled by the Knight Commander and the Deputy Director.

I was more about addressing what they might have missed at pivotal moments.

In other words, I could dive a bit into battle, while still keeping an eye out for the other knights without too much trouble, right?

Thinking that, I suddenly recalled a divine being who could instantaneously restore a nearly lifeless body and even boost physical abilities.

“Commander.”

“Hm?”

“I just thought of a way to handle the situation that wouldn’t leave anyone behind.”

The Knight Commander’s eyes sparkled with seriousness upon hearing my words.

“Alright, Hunter Follower.”

“I agree. It’s my first time meeting someone whose thoughts align with mine so perfectly.”

The representative of the Hunter Follower and the representative of the candle shook hands.

At this moment, an alliance had been formed.

It was thanks to their interests aligning so nicely.

“Of course. After all, you also seem displeased at how humans get chummy with outsiders.”

“…That’s right. We can never accept that.”

The follower’s expression briefly flickered with madness, causing a momentary panic for the candle, but they decided to just let it be since they wouldn’t meet again after this.

The candle stepped back and raised their weapon high, looking at the mixed group of followers and candles.

“The alliance is established! From now on, we shall thoroughly smash Rondan’s Knights! And make sure not to let the Giant of the Snow Mountain fall! Got it!?”

“Wooooooh!”

The piercing roar erupted like an explosion.

Despite it likely being painful to the ears, the candle representative seemed to relish it as a pleasant thrill and felt adrenaline surging through him.

Now, all that was left was to head towards Rondan.

The knights wouldn’t be able to react in time to a sudden ambush.

The representative of the candle felt joy at the smoothly proceeding plan and was just about to set out.

Bang!

“Argh!”

A deafening noise pierced the air, and when he turned to see where it came from, the candle clenched his teeth unknowingly.

He applied so much pressure to his jaw that he nearly broke his teeth; he was furious.

There shouldn’t be anyone who showed up now.

“…Leydan Tanton! What are you doing here?!”

At the source of the noise stood Tanton, sword in hand, having knocked several troops out cold by slamming the ground.

He had shown overwhelming growth recently, but with the craters made by his sword, it was hard to believe such sheer power could stem from ordinary growth.

“You traitor to humanity, strutting around after teaming up with outsiders!”

The candle mocked with a sneer, but the knights behind him advanced unfazed, radiating a vibe that suggested they’d smash him to bits.

I thought about fleeing, but the odds of getting away from these numbers didn’t feel promising.

A clash seemed inevitable.

The energy emanating from the candle and the knights made the already cold grounds of the empire feel even chillier.

 

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