The Tale of the Teapot Hero’s Revenge Chapter 3 - Just running away won't save me from death

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Chapter 3

Just running away won't save me from death

 

I wasn't even given time to cry out in front of my family's corpses. Mixed with the smell of blood, there was a pungent burnt odor that reached my nose. Fire was coming from the living room.

"No way, why, it can't be..."

If I let them be, Mom and Claire's bodies would burn. I couldn’t even make a grave.

Why, why…?

My tears were overflowing on their own. But I couldn’t afford to die. I wouldn’t let myself be killed without even knowing the reason.

I rushed out of Claire's room and surveyed the living room. A large fire was coming from the vicinity of the firewood storage; extinguishing it was no longer possible. And one more thing, I became convinced. This was not the work of thieves. My room, Claire's room, and the living room were all left untouched, including the cupboards.

They're not burglars, their purpose is to kill. But why!? Why us...

Anyway, it's dangerous to go out of the front door. There might be an ambush. So,　I went back to Claire's room at once to exit through the window.

"...Mom"

From the fact that mom was lying face down, she must have tried to go to Claire’s room after being attacked in order to protect Claire.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry... Thank you for everything..."

I gently laid her on their back, closed her wide-open eyes, and crossed her arms. They would soon turn to ashes, and I couldn’t even make a grave for them, but at least...

"...Claire"

Next, the bed. I closed my sister's eyes and gave a kiss on her cheek.

"I'm leaving you behind, I'm sorry... I will always love you..."

I really want to take her with me, but...

With an unbearable feeling, I bit my lips hard, and tasted the metallic, blood-like flavor.

"...I'm going."

I stood up, holding the sword that took the lives of both my family and their killer. I didn't want to hold onto something like this, but it's the only thing that could protect me.

I rushed into my room and quickly changed into thick clothing. It's a winter night outside, and this village was at a high altitude. I'd freeze to death if I went out in my pajamas.

The fire hasn't spread yet.

I finished changing into a warm cloak and boots in about twenty seconds. I placed my hands on the double-paned window, gently opened it, and observed the backyard of the house. 

　Ahead was a dimly lit forest, with no people on either side, and the snow was lightly falling. After confirming it's safe, I silently jumped down, careful not to make any sound.

Now, what should I do... Should I run away like this...

"Is that her?"

"......!"

I felt a surge of electricity throughout my body. Suppressing a scream, I looked around anxiously, but there's no one there. Seems like they’re not referring to me.

...From the central square of the village?

This village was shaped like a circle, and opened to the forest. Houses were lined up around the central square. Peeking from the back of the house, I could see the state of the square.

Those voices are from the attackers, right? If it isn’t just us, then could it be...!

An unpleasant premonition pierced my heart. Could it be that it's not just our house? I didn’t want to see it, I didn’t want to check it. But I couldn't help but confirm it.

I cautiously peeked towards the square, where about ten lightly equipped men have gathered in the center. Fire was coming out of the lined up houses, and from one of them, a man was walking, dragging my best friend, Alka, by her hair, as if she were an object.

"...Ah, she’s not her. This girl is not the hero. Though their ages seem similar."

She's slumped there without any sign of resistance. The reason must be that she’s dead.

"Stack her over there, we'll burn them all together later."

"Yes, understood."

As instructed by someone who looked to be the one in-charge, one of them piled my best friend carelessly on top of something. No, it's not ‘something’. They're the villagers. Grandpa Kenny, Aunt Linda, and many others I knew. With everyone's eyes wide open, they were carelessly piled up. They’d all been killed.

"Ugh..."

I forcefully suppressed what rose from my esophagus and tried to push it back into my stomach. If I made any noise now, I'd be joining them on that pile.

"What about that house? Hey, is Denil still not back?"

"I'll go check, General Carion."

General? Did he just say ‘general’ just now? I didn’t know much, but he must be an important person in the military. Acting under the king's orders.

No way, no way, no way...!

Could it be that this attack is ordered by the king!? Even if it were, why! To kill me, to massacre their own village, what would they gain!? I wanted to ponder more about it, but I was given no time to do so. One man was heading towards my house. He couldn’t pass through the entrance engulfed in flames, so he headed towards the back.

If I stayed like this, I'd be found, and in a state of panic, I hid behind a large tree shadow that caught my eye.

Step, step, step.

***read at novelworldtranslations.blogspot.com***

The footsteps were getting closer. I held my breath and cautiously observed, praying not to be found. My heart was pounding; the sound was deafening. The man went inside and peeked through the open door of my room. He was the one dragging Alka. Alka must have been killed by him.

"Ge-General! Denil is dead!"

"W-What!? And, where is the hero?"

"She's not here, but the window is open. Seems like she escaped."

"I see, she escaped into the mountains? Tch, how pitiful to be defeated by just a little girl."

I could hear the displeased voice of the so-called General Carion. To be honest, I wanted to go out right away and kill them all. Unfortunately, I didn't have that power, but if I did...

"I haven't received orders for mountain hunting, damn it... Why should I, the general, be involved in such bandit-like activities? Hey, Galare, is that you? You there. The one ranked highest after me, come here now"

"That would be me, Galare. The squad leader, sir."

The man who came to check the back hastily ran back to the square. I breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a bit less tense. Well, it's only temporary.

"I'll leave four subordinates with you. It's a mountain hunt, find the hero. I'm going back."

"I-If you go back... won't that be going against the king's orders?"

"If you kill the little girl, it won't be a violation of orders. Or is it that you're so incompetent that you can't even kill a novice girl with four men?"

"No... I'll do as you command."

What I heard was the plan to kill me. The squad leader called Galare and four of his subordinates, five men armed with weapons were coming to kill me. A chill ran down my spine, different from the winter cold.

"Really, the king is such a nuisance. I have something important that absolutely can't be missed today, and yet I have to do this kind of job... Hey, don't forget, corpses are a source of disease. Burn them without fail!"

Galare returned with four men to the back of the house. Smoke rose from the square, and the unpleasant smell of burning flesh wafted through. I heard the neighing of a horse and the sound of hooves, clippity-clop. Seems like Carion really burned all the bodies and went back.

Galare and the others bent down on the ground and started examining the ground meticulously with the light of lanterns.

"Listen, first, look for footprints. The target is an amateur, there should definitely be traces—Ah, found them right away!"

They seemed to have found footprints already and were coming my way. It's too late, I should have run away sooner. But I couldn't think straight, it's scary.

What hero? I'm just a village girl. I reached my limit, and my legs started running automatically.

"Ah! Found her, she's still nearby! Chase her!"

I can’t take this anymore, why do I have to go through this? 

I just pushed through the snow-covered bushes and ran aimlessly. Trampling the accumulated snow, I desperately, single-mindedly, continued running with the sole desire of not wanting to die.

"Haa, haa!"

When I looked back, the five men wielding swords were still chasing after me. 

Did I do something? Did I do something that deserves death?

In just moments, my family, my best friend, they were all killed, and I was being chased like this. In such an absurd situation, all I could do was run.

I wondered how long I've been running. Ten minutes? Fifteen minutes? Strangely, my stamina held up. The sword doesn't feel too heavy either.

Well, come to think of it... when it comes to heroes, when they take the lives either demons or humans, their physical abilities increase depending on the strength of the opponent.

I didn’t feel like I'd gotten much stronger, but by killing that man earlier, it seemed like my stamina had increased a bit. However, it's only a slight improvement. At this rate, my stamina would eventually run out, and they would catch up to me.

I have to do something about the pursuers, I have to kill them... but how...

My weapon was a sword and some shitty ability to boil water or something. If I threw boiling hot water at them, they would get burned but wouldn't die. But there's no water to begin with.

...Water?

No, there’s water. There's water, plenty of it, right under my feet. To make use of it, I surveyed the surroundings.

There, the slope below! I can do it there!

The slope covered in snow had a depression just below it. If I went through that depressed area, I should be able to take out the pursuers all at once. 

I passed through the depression and started climbing up the slope. If I slip, I'd get caught, and that would be the end. So, I carefully aimed for the rocky area protruding from the snow. When I looked back, one of the four men successfully stepped into the depression.

It's still too early, just a little more...

Two, three of them approached, but it's still too soon. It's only when the last person of the four-man group gathered.

"Now!"

I slammed my hands on the snow beneath my feet and concentrated. Heat traveled from my arms to the snow—frozen water—and rapidly thawed it. The surrounding snow was heated, loosened, and begun to collapse.

Yes, an avalanche.

"Uwaaah!"

"What's happening? The snow is collapsing!"

"We're being swallowed up!?"

A large amount of snow accumulated on the slope and went down on the four men in the depression. To avoid being swept away, I jumped onto a nearby rock. The men screamed as they helplessly got swallowed by the snow.

Got them, serves them right.

They're buried in the snow, only their hands, feet, and heads sticking out.

"You can't move, can you? Snow is heavy, very heavy."

I ran down the slope where the snow had been cleared and approached the struggling four men. I stood in front of the one whose head was sticking out and look down at him intently.

"Hey, are you in pain? Can't breathe?"

"P-Please... we were just following orders...!"

"I don't care."

I think this was probably the most merciless voice I'd ever heard coming out of my mouth. Without mercy, I thrust my sword into the face of the man who was struggling with only his head sticking out.

 

 

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