By Zephyria =======
Black Weasel and Silver, who were walking ahead, showed no signs of fatigue despite having rowed for several hours. It seemed they had eaten sufficiently while Wolf was trapped in the chest. After some deliberation, Wolf made a decision.
I’ll ask them to stop so we can roast and eat just one rabbit. I’ll persuade them by saying that at this time of night, we won’t be spotted by the pursuers even if we make a fire.
“Um…”
He opened his mouth but quickly shut it. Black Weasel and Silver were whispering in the Stohl language again. Every time they spoke Stohl, Wolf was overcome with curiosity. What were they talking about this time? A strategy meeting to shake off the pursuers? He hoped it was some joyful news, like ‘Let’s stop for a bit to roast some meat.’
「Did you hear the Prince whining about being hungry? Those Atania bastards have completely ruined White Deer’s son.」
「Ice Armor Warrior, I’m bored. Let’s make a bet.」
「What will you give me if you lose?」
「One rabbit.」
「Oh! I’m in. What’s the bet?」
The conversation between Black Weasel and Silver, which had continued for a while, finally ceased. Wolf tried to step forward in relief, but then hesitated and stepped back. Suddenly, Black Weasel whipped up one hand. Was that a signal to stay low?
Wolf hurriedly grabbed Red Eagle’s shoulder and pushed him flat onto the ground. He remained motionless for a moment, barely lifting his eyes. A short distance away, Silver was pressed tight against a tree, glaring at something. His hand was tucked inside his robe. He was ready to draw and throw a dagger at a moment’s notice.
In the opposite direction, Black Weasel was also pressed against a tree, gripping his axe tightly with both hands. His gaze, piercing through the darkness, was as fierce as a hungry wild dog. Wolf pressed his face back into the dirt. Had they sensed the presence of the pursuers?
A long time passed. Strangely, no footsteps or signs of movement could be heard. It was so silent that Wolf wondered if the pursuers had attached cotton to the soles of their boots. Wolf pressed his ear to the ground. No matter how cautiously one moves, the vibration caused by a boot hitting the ground can never be completely eliminated. He had to capture that vibration.
…….
…….
He couldn’t feel anything.
Wolf slowly lifted his head. Black Weasel and Silver were still staring into the darkness, unchanged. They looked lethal, like wild beasts with their fur standing on end.
…….
…….
In this atmosphere, if he said, ‘Excuse me? Are you scared of the sound of the wind?’… Uncle’s axe would likely charge vigorously toward the crown of his head. If he softened the expression to, ‘Um, I think you might have misheard the wind’… the axe would still probably come flying in circles. Better keep my mouth shut. To their ears, even the sound of an owl yawning over the mountain might sound loud…
Eventually, Black Weasel straightened his back. Silver also lowered his hand and caught his breath.
“It’s fine. Just the wind.”
Ah… fuck…
Feeling hollow, Wolf helped Red Eagle up. Red Eagle’s face had turned pale, and his legs were shaking.
“W-Wolf… d-do you think it was r-really the wind? If it wasn’t…”
“Calm down, Prince. It was definitely the wind. Uncle and Silver are guarding us firmly, so we’re safe.”
Wolf comforted Red Eagle. Black Weasel turned around, resting the axe over one shoulder.
“Let’s go.”
As he followed Black Weasel, Silver suddenly turned his head toward them. He scanned them up and down with just his eyes before quickly turning away. Wolf felt offended. Did that brat just mock us?
Why would he mock—! No… he would mock…
To that swordsman boy, their current state must have looked ridiculous. It would be mentally abnormal to give a thumbs-up or exclaim in admiration at peers who were trembling with their faces pressed into the dirt. Wolf’s shoulders slumped like a mule’s tail caught in a rainshower.
In front of the disheartened Wolf, Black Weasel and Silver began chattering in Stohl again.
「Silver, did the young masters wet themselves?」
「Tsk, neither of them pissed their pants.」
「I win. One rabbit belongs to this master.」
What the hell are they babbling about now? Are they mocking us as a pair for being pathetic? Damn it, why on earth did that Prince decide to run away from home!
For the first time, Wolf felt resentful toward Red Eagle. If the Prince had even a shred of self-awareness, he would never mention the word ‘adventure’ again. He must have realized clearly this time that adventure is not for everyone.
Dragons and wizards were fictional beings that appeared only in third-rate alleyway novels. In reality, true adventure consisted of murder and violence. That contract killer and his young assistant, striding boldly through the darkness, were the true adventurers. And seasoned ones at that.
Their manner of speaking was frivolous, and when they laughed loudly, they looked like immature pranksters, but they were flawless in their professional duties. The chill emanating from their appearance, like a winter river, was their true nature. Because they were so meticulous, they wouldn’t have overlooked even a trivial sound of wind.
In any case, it was difficult to bring up the suggestion to ‘stop and eat for a bit’ in this atmosphere. Red Eagle, who had been whining about being hungry, also kept his mouth shut. Wolf squeezed his eyes shut and clutched his starving stomach.
To be starving while carrying a load of food on one’s shoulder. This was exactly the ‘paradoxical situation’ mentioned in his literature exams.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Black Weasel and Silver came to a halt.
“We’re here.”
* * *
Wolf and Red Eagle looked around. All that caught their eye were steep mountain paths, trees, and thickets.
Black Weasel thudded his axe down onto the ground.
“Now, young masters! Don’t move. One wrong step and you’re dead.”
Wolf and Red Eagle both hunched their shoulders. Nearby, Silver was looking down, stirring the fallen leaves with the tip of his foot. Only then did Wolf notice a nail poking up through the thick layer of leaves. As Silver cleared a few more leaves, a wooden plank was revealed.
“Here.”
Silver covered the wooden plank with leaves again and snapped his fingers. Black Weasel rested the axe on his shoulder.
“From now on, you young masters follow closely behind my back in a single file. You must not deviate to the side.”
At those words, Wolf placed Red Eagle behind Black Weasel.
“Stay close to Uncle’s back. I’ll guard the Prince’s rear.”
“I’m sorry, as always, Wolf.”
Once again, Silver followed at the very back. After only three or four steps, Wolf became tense. The plank shook every time he stepped. It was a catwalk camouflaged with fallen leaves.
“Halt.”
Where Black Weasel stopped was in front of a dense thicket. Wolf looked around. It was all hills.
He was starting to get the idea. There was a cave inside the thicket. Black Weasel and Silver had dug a pit in front of the cave entrance, placed planks over it, and cleverly camouflaged it with fallen leaves. They had probably installed sharpened logs or something similar at the bottom of the pit.
Except for this catwalk, the rest were likely thin planks. Thin enough that an adult male of considerable weight would break through after only a few steps.
Wolf’s guess was correct. Black Weasel pushed through the thicket and stepped inside. The interior was pitch black, but it was less cold than the outside where the biting wind howled. Following Black Weasel, Wolf continued to count his steps. Five, six… from the cave entrance.
After eight steps, Black Weasel’s voice rang out.
“Stop.”
Following that, there was the sound of a door opening.
“Come in. You young masters wait until I light the fire.”
Once inside, Wolf couldn’t move a muscle. It was so dark he felt as if he had been plunged into an inkwell. He could only hear the sounds of Black Weasel and Silver chatting in Stohl and moving busily, and the sound of flint striking.
Soon, a fire bloomed in a corner of the darkness. The flame, which started as small as a fingernail, quickly grew as large as a jar, brightly illuminating the surroundings. Wolf set down the food that had been weighing down his shoulders and looked around. This… isn’t a cave?
“Did you think it was a cave?”
As if reading Wolf’s thoughts, Silver sneered. He was crouching in front of a fireplace, stirring the firewood with a poker. The room warmed up quickly.
The ceiling was rounded, and the walls and floor were coated with plaster. On one side were stacks of wooden buckets, firewood, and chests. There were wooden doors on both sides. Perhaps because he had suffered so much in just one day, this drab hideout felt like an attic filled with old books and antique toys. Wolf was deeply moved. White Deer had provided his son with incredibly competent guards.
Silver put down the poker.
“Well, it’s similar. This is the entrance leading to a cave. The smoke from this fireplace also vents into the cave.”
A wide layer of straw was spread in front of the fireplace. Black Weasel flopped down onto the straw.
“It’s been a productive day, so let’s get some deep sleep! Silver, blankets!”
Silver brought blankets out of a chest. He tossed one to Black Weasel and handed another to Red Eagle. Then it was Wolf’s turn. The moment he received the blanket from Silver, a sudden sting shot through a corner of his heart. A cold sensation brushed against the back of his hand. Silver’s eyes, looking at him, were dyed the color of rubies by the light of the fireplace.
13 – Hell Execution Order