PART # 2

 

He had introduced himself as the 18^th Hero, Kyoushiro Kagami. A young man whose very depiction of being a Demon-Spawn due to his black hair and eyes. Judging from ho he looks, Edsel could make out his age; probably between 16 or 19 years old.

 

On her side was her daughter Dahlia, the same as Kyoushiro, a Demon-Spawn. She bares the cursed color that is under the rule of the Demon God Afvritzed.

 

At first, they were running around for their lives, trying to get away from the chasers that tried to sully them. Edsel had already lost her dignity as a woman when she became a plaything of those bastards back then. That was why she couldn’t let the same thing happen to her daughter no matter what.

 

“This seems like a nice place. For no try staying hidden, I’ll lure some guys here so Edsel, I’m counting on you to distract them”

 

After leaving the settlement, Kyoushiro held the map in his hands and decided to stay at a place not far from the target location where it was said that there was a base of monsters and human breeding grounds here. According to Kyoushiro’s story, the new elf candidate had been kidnapped by some bandit group but as it turns out, she was captured by a former mercenary group led by a man named Ernest Vern the Honest.

 

Edsel had no knowledge for the past few years due to her and her husband running around the elven borders to get away from their pursuers. Edsel had already lost her husband once and if she loses her only daughter now, there was no way for Edsel to live anymore.

 

That was why, when Kyoushiro offered to shelter them for the time being, she immediately accepted. It was better than living inside a forest one more and starting from scratch again. Aiding Kyoushiro on his mission right now would be very beneficial for her and her daughter since Kyoushiro said that there is land he currently uses as his base where they can stay for as long as they want.

 

Because of that, Edsel agreed to be bait to some bandits that once belong to a mercenary group.

 

Kyoushiro pulled Dahlia and hid her under some bushes while Edsel was to wait by some tree and act like she was lost. Edsel had a vague idea of what would happen later so she trusts that Kyoushiro would immediately help.

 

“Alright, I’ll check the cave for now. You two stay here and when you see me running Edsel, proceed as plan”

 

“U-Understood”

 

Naturally, Edsel was nervous. She was being used as live bait for men that only think of their lower halves. Even though she had already gone through such experience once, as expected, there was no way she would want to go through it again.

 

Kyoushiro nodded as he confirmed Edsel’s confidence. Once he had done so, he pulled out a bow and a quiver filled with arrows then left. Edsel watched him disappear from the shadows of the trees and waited beside her daughter.

 

“Mama, why do you look scared?”

 

Dahlia glanced at her mother’s expression and saw Edsel’s rather pale complexion. Even though Dahlia was still a child, it seems that she was rather sensitive when it comes to a person’s emotion. In order to reassure Dahlia, Edsel took deep breaths before showing a smile to her daughter.

 

“I’m fine Lia-chan; mama is just a bit nervous is all”

 

“Nervous?”

 

“That’s right, because Lia-chan is with me right now”

 

Was it alright to bring a child along to a carnage battle? As a mother, this was something she would never do and if it was possible, she doesn’t Dahlia to see murder in broad day light. Thankfully, Kyoushiro just beat the rough thugs in the pub this morning so Dahlia didn’t see any bloodshed. Even when they were saved by Kyoushiro when they were ganged up upon by their pursuers, it seems that Dahlia lost consciousness due to shock.

 

It was a stroke of luck that Dahlia didn’t remember any of that even happened. Edsel caressed her daughter’s head to reassure her.

 

“Is papa going to leave again?”

 

“Lia-chan….”

 

Edsel showed a sad smile as Dahlia views Kyoushiro as her father. The other day when Dahlia woke up after the incident, she had caught a glimpse of Kyoushiro’s hair and eye color. Seeing that they were the same, Dahlia took Kyoushiro for her father as a mistake. Kyoushiro was doing his best not to Dahlia’s affection at all and makes sure to keep a safe distance away from her.

 

But it seems that Dahlia was still thinking about her father. Kyoushiro being there, she thought that Kyoushiro would leave her and her mother again. Edsel had already told Dahlia about her father but it seems that Dahlia still hoped that he was alive.

 

Edsel then wrapped her arms around her daughter and tightly embraced her.

 

“Don’t worry, when all this is over, we’ll head to a safer place. Kyou-san had already said that he would take us after all”

 

Although there were chances that Kyoushiro would turn against her, as long as Dahlia was safe then be it hell or fire, she would go along with Kyoushiro’s wishes.

 

“Shit!! Where the hell did that bastard go to?!”

 

Suddenly, voices appeared over the bushes.

 

“Stop talking and start looking!! If we let that a-hole escape, our plans would go south!!”

 

“Shit!!”

 

Over the bush where Edsel and Dahlia were hiding, there were two men with arrows stuck to their shoulders. It seems that Kyoushiro managed to lure them away from their hideout by taking their attention away from it. Edsel nodded and proceeded to leave the bush and act as planned.

 

“Bastard, there you are!!”

 

“N-No!! P-please wait!!”

 

“Huh?!”

 

The two men, who was about to jump at Edsel, suddenly stopped and held their weapons aloft, it seems that they were surprised that someone other than the guy that shot them with the arrows were hiding around.

 

“Who’re you?”

 

“U-Umm… I-I got lost you see? I’m not from a part from here”

 

“Huh? You seem young enough…. Hoh, looks like we’ve found ourselves some good seed bag here”

 

The eyes of the two men looked as though they were licking Edsel’s body. The sensual figure of a gorgeous elf could make any men lose their sense and attack her at any moment. Edsel was creeped out for a moment and took a step back but as it was going along the plan, she grits her teeth and faced the two rough looking old men.

 

“Well, I guess your right”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Eh?”

 

Kyoushiro appeared behind the two and they heard his voice, they turned their heads around. Only to be held down by Kyoushiro with his bare hands.

 

“<Electricity Manipulation> - [Stun gun]”

 

*ABABABABABABABA!!* The two men were knocked unconscious due to being stunned on the head by Kyoushiro’s skill. As the two dropped heavily on the ground, Kyoushiro smiled satisfactorily and took out a rope from somewhere.

 

“Umm….” Edsel tried to say something but seeing as Kyoushiro was busy, she couldn’t call out to him. But since Kyoushiro heard her voice, he glanced at her while tying the two with the rope he took out from his magic storage.

 

“It went along as planned. Don’t worry, you were only bait”

 

“S-So… I am not going to be…”

 

Although Edsel already resolved herself to be shamed in front of her daughter, it seems that Kyoushiro had a different kind of bait in mind. Kyoushiro saw the fidgeting figure of a gorgeous woman before him and sighed. After tying up the two, he pulled out the arrows lodged in their shoulders to wake them up.

 

“Ugh…”

 

“Kh…”

 

The two men groaned as they slowly woke up…

 

“Look, I got these two thanks to your help. Even if things go south, as long as you do your job, you won’t die. Didn’t I already promise to take you Ambrosia?”

 

Kyoushiro was indeed cold towards enemies but he wasn’t cruel enough to let a child watch her own mother get toyed with men right in front of her. Kyoushiro showed an uninterested expression to Edsel, who was bashfully holding her daughter’s hand.

 

“Y-You’re right…thank you”

 

“Alright let’s get started”

 

As the two captives were starting to regain their consciousness, Kyoushiro began his tor- interrogation…