NBAA Vol. 2 Chapter 4 Part 6
After the battle against Gain, on their way back to the city, Reito was so tired he decided to camp outside on the plains.
There was the risk of monsters finding them, but Ullr would notice any such uninvited guests. Reito let Ullr stand guard and wrapped himself in his partner’s warm fur.
“It’s cold, Ullr, wrap me a bit tighter.”
“Whiine…”
Ullr sighed and complied, covering Reito’s body with his. Reito let himself go in the warmth of his partner’s body and was reminded of his mother Aira covering him with a blanket, when he was still a baby.
『…Airis, are you still up?』
『Yes, I am. I basically never sleep, actually.』
Reito considered for a moment whether to ask about his mother or not.
He regularly asked Airis about how his mother was doing after he left the residence. He had had fewer chances to do so recently, though.
『Is mother…doing fine?』
『Yes, she is.』
『I see.』
『Is there anything else you want to know?』
Airis seemed to know Reito had something on his mind. All sorts of questions floated in his head, but he ultimately decided not to say anything.
『…no, it’s okay. Not now, at least.』
『Is that so…Reito, please remember this. It is not possible for you to see your mother…or Aria now. So…』
『I know.』
Reito cut off the communication before Airis finished her sentence. He pulled Ullr’s head closer and went to sleep.
◆◆◆
The following day, a certain former adventurer arrived at the Ymir coal mine.
She was shaken to see the state the excavation site was in: she then found the corpse of the person she was looking for and quietly gazed down at it.
“Are you…really Gain?”
Bal recognized Gain’s corpse and fell to her knees.
The man she had sought revenge against for 20 years was dead.
The corpse lying before her showed signs of extreme aging, but she would recognize it anywhere.
“What the hell is this…!? Why are you in a place like this, killed by someone other than me!?”
Bal drew the broadsword on her back and swung it down, as to smash it against Gain’s corpse…but stopped before actually doing so.
Despite all the hate she bore towards him, her pride wouldn’t allow her to maim a corpse.
“Damn you…damn it all!! Why…why…!!”
Bal herself did not know who her words were aimed at. Tears flowed from her eyes as she silently looked down at Gain.
She then held up her sword again.
“…goddamnit!!”
She could not attack the corpse, after all. Bal let go of her broadsword, cursing under her breath.
She then punched a nearby boulder.
Blood trickled from her fist as cracks spread throughout the boulder…eventually causing the boulder to shatter.
◆◆◆
Bal’s actions before Gain’s corpse were being observed from a distance.
A man approximately 40 years old, hidden behind a large boulder, was watching Bal with the Far Sight skill, a nasty grin on his lips.
Three Goblins were with him, all lying on the ground in the same way. The man’s name was Bubee: he too belonged to the pro-empire faction.
“Hee hee hee…I saw it all, heard it all, know it all!!”
“Ghyeeh…”
“Who’d ever thought Lord Gain could be killed…! Things are getting really interesting…now I’m the only survivor…haha!”
He was not worried in the least about the fact that all pro-empire faction Monster Tamers except him had been defeated, On the contrary, he was gloating at the prospect of his rank increasing because of his status as survivor.
Monster Tamers were a precious asset: the pro-empire faction would surely ensure he was treated with the utmost care.
“Too bad about Basil and Lord Gain…I’d never expect them to be defeated, but thanks to that my standing is rock solid now. Hee hee hee…you critters are lucky to be serving me, you’d be dead if you were with the others…!”
Bubee was about to turn towards the Goblins under his command, when he noticed something was off. The smell of blood tickled his nostrils—
“Uh…? Where did my left arm go…?”
Bubee noticed the space once occupied by his left arm was now empty.
The next instant, a sharp pain coursed through his body: he wanted to scream, but his mouth was closed by someone appearing behind him.
“Nngh!? Nnggghh!?!”
“Quiet now…or I can’t kill you easily.”
“…!?”
It was a female voice. Bubee’s body stiffened as a crimson blade emerged from his chest.
Just before his heart was pierced, Bubee recognized the blade: it was Gain’s Crimson Devil Blade.
Bubee’s body slumped down to the ground.
“Mission accomplished…returning to base.”
After killing Bubee, the woman looked down at his corpse, the Crimson Devil Blade in hand. For a single instant, she looked in the direction Reito had headed to.
She opened her mouth, but said nothing and disappeared.
One of her hands held the Crimson Devil Blade, the other a bloody dagger.
~
The next day, all armed Goblins which had attacked towns and villages in the area were released from the Monster Tamers’ control: they all returned to the wild.
The pro-empire faction’s involvement in the matter became widely known, so the Baltros kingdom officially started moving for a thorough annihilation of the faction.
The Black Tiger adventurers’ guild, which had captured two of the faction’s Monster Tamers, received a substantial reward as its name spread throughout the kingdom. The guild earned the kingdom’s trust, which boosted Bal’s reputation as well.
Bal herself, however, barely even registered such events: the shock of Gain’s death at the hands of someone else was too intense. She attempted to leave her position as guildmaster, but was desperately held back by those around her and eventually gave up.
The great boost in popularity of the Black Tigers guild, however, also disrupted the balance of power between the guilds in the Adventure City.
But if I recall the house they were sent to is where they secretly put all inconvenient nobles where they eventually ‘die of sickness’ or some other reason. Meaning Reito’s mom should have also been slated for death. She would also be a target because she knew of a hidden room with records of every assassination in that house and the king is enough of an asshole that he would be paranoid enough to think Reito’s mom would leak that information to his political enemies that would use it to depose him.
Hmm, I think it’s cause Reito’s mother is simply a concubine with no connections to powerful nobles (nor the outside world), so killing her has no benefits. plus they probably have loved each other for a time, so there’s that.
Im almost certain now its the elf maid Aria. The first time since he escaped that his mother or her are mentioned happens to be just after a mysterious woman only identified by her class as assassin pops up in the story. The only time a character has been identified solely by her class. Not to mention the mysterious short sword that stabbed vampyboi in the back before he could kill Reito. Now she appears again armed with Gains weapon and is looking in the direction Reito went… Clearly a guilt stricken assassin maid.
I was certain the moment they identified the woman working with gain just by her class. Theres been no other character introduced by gender and class till now. Now in one chapter this mysterious assassin is identified as the one who threw the sword that tripped Gain up during his fight (why else is she now wielding Gains weapon) we see the first mention of his mother and Aria since he left them.
he probably didn’t take the sword because then bal would know he’s the one who killed her nemesis
Nobody needs a saber made with weak steel, western and mis orient sabers was 100 times better
Clearly he didn’t take Gain’s katana because it wasn’t folded one million times and can’t cut through a tank >.>
I’m joking. But yeah I don’t know why he didn’t take his sword. Didn’t they say that Reito’s sword is made of bronze and copper?
no its tunsten
Could be he plans to use her as a hostage when the time is right. He’s someone that would throw a freaking baby, it’s very, very likely that he’s not being sentimental.
I guess the female voice is probably Reito’s elf maid, either she was a pro-empire or was only there to assassinate the last tamer of the pro-empire.
It’s kind of hard to believe that after all these years, Reito’s mother hasn’t been killed. The current king is definitely the type of piece of shit that wouldn’t let a loose thread like her to continue living after the failed assassination of Reito.
So it’s really looking like the person who was with Gain was the one who threw the dagger at him during Reito’s fight and she is very likely Reito’s elf maid. I guess that maybe she’s a mole in the pro-faction.
Well looks like Bal didn’t take it well that Gain was killed by someone else. How would she react if she found out it was Reito who did it? Anyways looks like there’s an inter-adventurer guild war brewing because the Black Tigers guild has gotten too popular.
Wonder who that female is?
Thanks for the treat.
he didn’t take the katana?
Thank you for the chapter !
Thanks for the chapter.
Why didn’t Reito took Gain’s sword after he defeated him? What a waste…
Must be that trash maid huh
I think it would be best to let Bal fight because Bal would still win, and Gain would still die. And the reason Bal would die is poison, so I thought Reito would just heal her or just intercept the poisoned arrow.
Things are really getting out of hand MC better get out of that country soon.
Man Aria better get what she deserves, death. It’s doesn’t matter of you feel “guilty” you tried, and would have, killed the guy you had been acting like you loved. Can never trust that bitch again.