Former General Is Undead Knight

Volume 1, Chapter 8: Bandits Gang④

「Ye~s, That’s as far as you go…now, shall we have a little negotiation?」

The huge bald man’s way of speaking to Lambert was very woman-like. Perhaps it’s to lower Lambert’s vigilance, or perhaps it’s normal for the guy. In any case, it didn’t change the conjecture in Lambert’s mind that the man might be the bandit’s leader.

「Why do I have to surrender for those guys? 」

Lambert asked, voice cold even as the hostages were desperately gesturing to him with tears streaming down their faces.

「You can’t fool me you kno~w. You came to save these guys, ri~ght? Don’t worry, I won’t be high-handed since I want to train you, personally.」

「…Huhm.」

Hearing that, Lambert recalled the girl’s words.

『Though some adventurers came to our village to check the situation since the contact from our village was suddenly cut off… They were immediately caught. You too, please run before you got caught by them…』

And then he looked at the hostages. The three hostages looked like they were around 18 years old who only had some training under their belt. And, from the look of it, their capture was a recent thing since they weren’t as thin as the villagers.

「Moreover I have… Never said that I’m going to kill you~. I just need you to cut one of your hands. Then I’ll release these three…… And let you off to~o.」

The bald man said happily before he took a drink from the goblet made from skull in his hand. Just looking at his action creeped normal people out. It was as if he was sipping its’ brains out.

From the look of the skull, it seemed like its inside were patched with clay so it would prevent any liquid from spilling out. In order to make it usable as a goblet. Furthermore, the skull’s exterior itself seemed to be painted with something. [ED: …right, I’m so done with life now.]

The bandit’s leader, who noticed that Lambert was paying attention to the goblet in his hand, let his lips form a mockery of a smile with his perpetually emotionless face. He then openly licked the inside of the goblet with his purple tongue.

「Oh my, worrying about this? This is, you see, a goblet that is made from the skull of the young women of this village. Yes…but of course, it’s not me who makes it. Want to know who makes it? You want to, ri~ght? Why, I’ll tell you. The maker was, her own fathe~r. Very interesting, ri~ght? 」

Hearing their boss’s words, they just laughed merrily, as if everything’s normal and peaceful.

「Hey, if you’re too scared to cut your hand, shall I cut it for you? 」

「Look he’s scared even though he has such a big body. Hey, cut your hand already. Moreover… Where’s your gratitude?! Boss is already being benevolent in letting you off with one of your hands, you know? If boss goes all out, you’re out of luck man, you’ll feel what a hell on earth means! Unfortunately for you, you’ve killed too many of our comrade so don’t think that we’re going to let you off scot free without any punishment.」

「Well… Whether you’re safe afterward or not are trivial. You should’ve known that we’ve our backing right? The foolish one here is…… Yourself you kno~w! 」

The bandit’s lackeys were mocking Lambert earnestly, trying to get into his head. However, Lambert himself didn’t really pay attention to their threat.

Should I… bait more information from them? No, there’s no need for that. I just need to leave one of them alive to tell me the information that I needed.

After confirming each and every single one of the leftover bandit’s face, Lambert drew his sword.

Seeing his action, the bandits thought that Lambert would cut his own hand. However, they were wrong. Because, in the first place, he didn’t come to this village to save some adventurers who could fend for themselves.

But, from the bandit’s perspective, Lambert’s sole reason to visit this village was to save the adventurer’s lifes who got caught some days ago. That’s why they thought and expected that as long as they brought along their hostage’s when they confront him, Lambert would do as they bid. ????????????????????????????. ????????????

「Even for my current self, there’s still no no way I can just abandon the younglings who will become Regios kingdom’s future. So, if severing my own right hand is the only choice, then I will not hesitate, but you see…while your suggestion is extremely interesting…unfortunately for you, I suddenly recalled something really interesting, so…」

At this point, he let his killing intent-filled miasma loose.

「My bad, I refuse. Honestly, I never even consider the option of surrendering to you bastards after all.」

The bandits’ body, who was exposed to Lambert’s powerful miasma, was paralyzed by fear. And, in that moment, Lambert had already decapitated the heads of two bandits who were standing in between the hostages with just one swing of his sword.

「HAAAH! 」

「W-What in the world just happened!? 」

The rest of the bandits that are still alive have yet to understand the situation. Thus, they could only cower in fear. Their leader, however, was different than them. While his lackeys were cowering, his expression made a complete change. He looked excited.

「You guys, show him hell! 」

The leader barked as he crushed the skull goblet in his hand, excitement coursing through his body.

「You Bastard, you aren’t worried about this guys… HUH! 」

One of the bandits abandoned his fear. He shouted in front of Lambert, a hostage in his hand. But, before he managed to finish his line, his body was already split in half.

「KILL THAT GUUUUUUUUUUUY! OUR OPPONENT IS ALONE! KILL HIIIIIM! 」

Soon, another four popped up like red fruits. Because none of the bandits could see through Lambert’s true abilities, basically making them a sitting duck in front of him. They had tried dodging. They had even tried to save their own asses, but unfortunately for them it was all a futile effort.

Hence why, one by one, the bandits in that place eventually died an extremely cruel death under Lambert’s attack; without even being able to swing their sword properly in retaliation.

「Im-…-Possible…… ARE YOU A MONSTER!! 」

The last one left was the leader.

After taking a glance at the crushed skull goblet, Lambert glared at the leader.

「Well then, it seems there’s a whole lot of things I need to ask from you. Since I don’t want the villagers to see such foul things that will happen to you… Shall we change place to one of the vacant houses?」

「Y-You’re going to torture me? Can’t you see that I am just a weak human…」

The leader kneeled down right there as he secretly took the axe of his subordinate.

He stared back at Lambert with bloodshot eyes.

「You… Are you under the assumption that you are the most cruel fellow in the world? 」

「W-What in the hell are you…」

「I know many others good-for-nothing fellows even crueler than you are. Torture maniac Odin who was called the vampire of Belfis… The Plunderer King of Madeiraku kingdom, Helnikos… Humanity’s Worst Alchemist, Guiref of Algrous kingdom. And then, the greatest sinner to become the sorcerer of our Regios kingdom… Sage Domiliune. If you saw even just one of their evil deeds, a young hatchling like you might not even dare to sleep again, ever.」

「W-Who the hell are those guys! And what the hell you’re talking about! 」

「What are you talking about, they’re the fellas who died in my hand a long time ago.」

Lambert dropped his sword to the ground as he spoke to the bandit leader.

「You creep…I don’t even know what in the hell you are talking about! 」

The leader shouted, rushing toward Lambert. However, he easily dodged the axe swung by the bandit leader. Then, he knocked off the bandit leader’s shoulder with his arm that looks like a lump of iron due to his armor.

The bandit leader’s shoulder joint were smashed much too easily.

「A-AH…… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!? 」

He screamed loudly, eyes tearing up. Not only that, he was also drooling from his mouth that was wide open due to how much pain he was suffering right now. Lambert was merciless though as he quickly destroy the bandit leader’s other shoulder joint and both of his knees.

「How do you feel? When you suddenly can’t use both of your hands and feet? From this point on, I’ll keep you alive just to inflict even more pain to you. But, I’m not a demon. I do not have a tasteless hobby like Odin or Guiref. You can rejoice just in that regard alone. Since I’m gonna kill you when I’m done with you.」

Done speaking, Lambert then seized the foot of the leader, whose kneecaps has been destroyed by him, and drag him away to a separated place.

By this point, the leader, who was in pain, dreaded Lambert so much that he leaked fluid from every part of his body. Including his mouth where the foul smell of vomit could be smelled from.

「Shave meeE… ShaVe mee, PleaSe shAve me…」

The leader pleaded to the nearby hostages.

His figure was exactly like an abused puppy.

Even the people, who used to be his hostages, were looking at the leader with a look of pity in their eyes. Because, looking at the man who was dragged along on the dirt, leaving behind traces of vomit, excretion, and mud made them feel that that man and the man who did such a cruel thing to the villagers without even batting his eyes was not the same person.

In fact, for some reason, even the original image of the bandit leader in the prime of his cruelty had shrunk to a pitiful height in their mind.

But, even those hostages were powerless since their hands were tied and their mouth was stuffed with cloth. So, they could only watch as the bandit leader was dragged further and further away from that area.

Finally, Lambert knocked on the door of a house, and opened it.

「Yup, this place seems to be vacated.」

「Ah-A… AAAAH…」

The leader, who was still trembling horribly, looked desperately at the hostages, as if pleading them to save him. But, then the door swung closed with a ‘bam’ and that plea was dashed to the ground.

That was the last time the hostages ever saw the bandits leader anymore.