Chapter 19

“There’s no way a Tamer has that kind of strength!! What are you? A ‘Pugilist’? Or maybe a ‘Martial Artist’?”

Don’t shout. You’ll blow our cover to the others.

“Let’s save those questions for when this is all over. More importantly, lead the way to the King.”

Senior looked at me suspiciously, but eventually muttered “This way” and began to guide us.

“Can you trust that Dwarf?”

“If I don’t, I can’t get anything done.”

Ril tilted her head, but followed along without saying anything more.

“By the way, were you okay on your end?”

“I got a bad feeling, so I ran away immediately. I went outside once, so they might still be searching for me out there.”

Good, good. Well then, I should prepare for combat as well.

First, we need to gather some allies.

“Senior. Is there anyone else here who might join our side?”

“Don’t worry. Among those captured by Dolf, I plan to recruit others who possess strength equal to my own.”

Equal strength, huh? That’s not particularly reassuring.

“What are they?”

“One is a ‘Mage.’ However, he’s elderly and moves slowly. Another belongs to the country’s Shadow Unit. He hasn’t been caught and is currently conducting espionage… and then there are his subordinates.”

An old man, huh… But well, if it’s a Mage, maybe being older actually makes him more reliable? And then there’s the Shadow Unit.

“Can we trust the Shadow Unit?”

“Of course. There are none more trustworthy than them.”

If you say so.

Senior held his breath and pointed around a corner.

“In that solitary cell past that corner is where Lord Dowal is being imprisoned.”

Let’s use “Five Senses Enhancement” to check the numbers.

…Two heartbeats? I’d like to confirm with my eyes, but I’ll hold off on that for now.

“Ril, is the enemy count two?”

“That’s right, Ryu.”

“Then the two of us are going in. Just don’t kill them; it’ll be a pain later.”

“That makes it a bit difficult.”

Well then, what about Senior?

“Senior, can you move quickly?”

“No, I am not that fast.”

Hmm, neither of them is much use for a blitz.

Come to think of it, Senior is a “Knight.” He probably can’t fight properly bare-handed.

In that case, I’ll do it alone. The opponents seem like small fry anyway.

“Alright, I’ll take care of this by myself, so please wait a moment. I’ll finish this quickly.”

Senior tried to say something, but I ignored him. Let’s crush them fast.

First, I closed the distance instantly with “Physical Ability Enhancement,” used “Five Senses Enhancement” to pinpoint exactly where to strike, and added “Sixth Sense” as a finishing touch to boost my accuracy even further.

After that, all I had to do was punch them squarely in the face.

The two guards slammed their heads back from the impact and lost consciousness.

“It’s over. Come here, quickly.”

When I called out, Ril came immediately.

Senior didn’t come even when called, so I decided to finish the rest on my own.

A light tap on the door told me it was thick. Breaking it down with a punch was out of the question.

“Ril, give me a fang.”

“Are we cutting it?”

“It should be easy with Grandfather’s fang.”

“I could cut it, you know?”

“No can do. If you did it, Ril, I’m afraid you’d slice the real King along with the door.”

Ril puffed out her cheeks cutely but produced a fang for me anyway.

I thanked her and patted her head; her tail wagged just like always.

For now, I carved up the door.

Deep inside the shredded door sat a single Dwarf King.

He looked a bit thinner than the man in the audience chamber, but his gaze was far sharper.

“Are you the Dwarf King, Lord Dowal?”

“…Who are you?”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ryu. Just a lowly Tamer.”