56 Death of a Scoundrel
"That was amazing! I knew it you must be a user of Offensive Magic!"
"...I can't use magic, you know?"
"Eh? Oh come on~. You're joking right. I mean you stopped someone like this in one go, right? ...H-huh?"
I knew it, she couldn't see me moving in [Accelerated] state so she thought I was using magic.
And that [Offensive] part. This must be the usual pattern.
As I was getting a bit excited at the fantasy RPG-like setting coming up here, Aryl walked up next to me and asked.
With her sight fixed at the downed man.
"Um, is he... maybe, dead?"
Her tone sobered up, asking that timidly.
She must have sensed the change of air on the man as she put her hand over her mouth with her eyes opened wide.
There's a huge difference in the air between a knocked out but living and the breathlessness of the dead.
"It didn't seem like I could hold back so I had to use my full power and..."
I didn't explain in detail. Only the nuance.
In reality, there was no full power, I only punched him a bit but with a clear murderous intent, which was enough to kill him for sure.
I didn't delve that much, I didn't need to.
(I didn't have to use this much power to achieve this result. Using as much as that time with the bandits would have been enough. And yet I couldn't control myself.)
Aryl had a pale face before she suddenly turned in the street direction.
"We've gotta call the guards! And quick!"
She ran off just like that.
I couldn't keep up due to how abrupt it was.
Yet I didn't need to go after her as she turned her face here and shouted.
"Please watch the store! I'll get right back!"
I could only whisper at that.
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"Just what's going on..."
Did I do something wrong? Am I getting arrested? Interrogated?
It's too late now that he's dead. I was being too short tempered.
What kind of joke is this if I end up the one regretting.
(And it's not like I can redo things...)
Then after about 10 minutes of anxiety and excuses,
(Ah, I should have just run away.)
Aryl came back with five guards just as I reached that conclusion.
That was when I realized my too serious personality.
Despite always thinking I could just run if it comes to it, I watched over this store cause she told me to.
I do have the full intention to make a break for it if push comes to shove though, bodyguard or not.
The guards are equipped with leather armor, long spears and helmet-like headpieces.
It'd be a huge pain if they enclosed me and said, 'Come with us to the station.'
As I was bracing myself for it, my fear turned out unfounded.
The five guards tried to turn the corpse face up.
The man I one punched to dead was just that big.
When it finally turned over, one of the guards let out a scream when he saw the face.
"Hii! What the heck is this..."
"...Zolden, confirmed. But his face has caved in to the point of being unrecognizable..."
What seemed to be their captain said that.
The fist-shaped cavity centering around the nose was awful. It's been dug half inside.
Any human would die from this.
They could identify it as Zolden from the big wound mark on its chin to its eye.
According to what Aryl told me later.
This Zolden was a huge problem, a small time scoundrel who would threaten and rob people through brute force, he even made them pledge so he could use it as an excuse later.
On top of that, he would act aggressively if anyone dared to confront him, making his victims hesitate instead.
Previously, the guards tried to arrest him but he turned the table on them instead, causing the guards to suffer a huge damage, after which they refrained from trying again.
His victims could only give up in frustration as nobody could help them.
Aryl who had gathered information beforehand noticed that this man was Zolden.
The guards were half cheering and half doubting when Aryl came and told them Zolden had died.
They decided to hear the detail later after Aryl pointed out Zolden's specific trait and went with her to the site, so now Aryl is giving the explanation.
As I watched over them while resting along the wall, someone called out to me.
"Could I have a bit of your time?"
The now clearly captain asked me.
(Okay well, I shouldn't lie. I mean there's no need to. Actually what's up with this guy, he's been glaring dagger at me...)
"I'd like to verify your side of story in addition to hers. Will you cooperate?"
His glare was still severe, but as he seemed like he could be reasoned with words, I told him the gist of things.
Zolden came to the store. He grabbed three items and tried leaving without paying so I stopped him.
Then he threatened us. He suddenly drew his sword and went slashing at me when he found out I was a bodyguard.
Having no other choice, I punched him but apparently it hit a bad spot so he died.
All the guards who heard my story had a 'Like I'd believe that!' expression on their faces.
But one of them seemed like he was entertaining the idea.
Ordinarily, no one would have believed a slim kid like me could kill a violent man who lived in criminal activities, no matter how contrived.
Will they believe the story if I looked like Randolf?
Wonder if they would accept it as an unlikely accident if I had a blade on me?
But despite the guards' doubt, marvel, wonder, bafflement and surprised faces, they were more happy about the [Death] of Zolden than me, so they didn't pursue the topic further.