I Alone Regress in a Hero Party That Was Annihilated - Chapter 31

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#31. Child of the Abyss (3)

 

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A small warehouse located deep within the underground cave.

 

As the low, narrow door opened, the rust-red hinges screamed as if they would break.

 

Inside the warehouse, crates and cord, along with several unused oak barrels, were scattered about.

 

And beyond all these old and useless objects, dozens of people crawled across the floor.

 

“Mmph mmph mmph—”

 

“Mmmph—mmm mmph!”

 

“Hnngh—hng hng—mmph hng hng…”

 

Prisoners who had committed crimes and been dragged here.

 

When they were on the surface, they had falsely accused innocent people and made them shed tears of blood, robbed common people of their wealth, embezzled and misappropriated public funds, and tax evasion was routine for them.

 

And another common trait was precisely this.

 

“They’re the main culprits who brought down the Rorschach family.”

 

“…”

 

At Featherback’s words, Rorschach’s expression hardened coldly.

 

The prisoners who heard the surname ‘Rorschach’ struggled even more violently.

 

“Mmm mmph mmph—”

 

“Huff—huff ahhh!”

 

“Huk—huk huk—mmph hng hng…”

 

Before her eyes, her parents’ enemies begged for mercy.

 

Rorschach’s mouth, looking down at them, was sealed shut like an iron fortress.

 

But in her pupils swirled a massive rage that could not be fully expressed through words.

 

Thud—

 

Featherback stood behind Rorschach and placed his hands on both her shoulders.

 

“I’m leaving the disposal of these bastards to you.”

 

“…”

 

Rorschach’s shoulders turned as Featherback guided them.

 

Soon, as she turned her body to the side, something new came into her view.

 

On the crates in front of her, two objects were placed.

 

One was a sharply gleaming silver dagger.

 

A blade that could avenge her parents’ deaths.

 

The other was a red seal that simultaneously symbolized the legal and administrative officers of the Mörsolt Family.

 

This signified a farewell to the past, a farewell to Narok.

 

With these two meaningful objects before her, Rorschach simply stared at them in silence.

 

Featherback continued speaking.

 

“For reference, I only pulled out some of the thick roots, but I couldn’t catch all the smaller roots.”

 

“…”

 

“Catching and completely eradicating all the petty thieves running rampant within Mörsolt. That’s exactly what you’ll need to do from now on.”

 

Featherback’s goal was to root out the corrupt officials eating away at the territory.

 

Rorschach’s goal was to catch and kill his parents’ enemies one by one.

 

Strangely, the targets Featherback was aiming for and the targets Rorschach was aiming for were exactly the same.

 

Their interests were converging into one.

 

Snap!

 

Rorschach slowly stood up and picked up the dagger.

 

Then he opened his mouth in a businesslike and rigid tone.

 

“Lord Featherback wants a hunting dog. A hunting dog with teeth as sharp as this blade.”

 

“I won’t deny it.”

 

The moment Featherback nodded, the bound prisoners began struggling frantically.

 

Several of them managed to loosen the gags blocking their mouths and screamed.

 

“Aaaahhh! No!”

 

“Sob, I, I was wrong!”

 

“Sob, I-I was wrong!”

 

“I’ll do anything, so please just spare my life…”

 

As if realizing their fate, their faces were etched with terror.

 

At that moment.

 

Thud―

 

Rorschach suddenly put down his dagger.

 

Feedback asked.

 

“So revenge isn’t necessary? Forgiveness is the highest virtue, something like that?”

 

It happens sometimes.

 

Sophists who spout the fallacy that losing is winning.

 

Pederback had seen countless such philosophers in his past lives.

 

And they never made a single peep until the day humanity was wiped out by the demon army.

 

‘Whether they were saints, nobles, or petty men—they all screamed and cried the same when the demons tore their bodies apart. The blood, entrails, and flesh scattered about were all the same too.’

 

All this talk about forgiveness and whatnot is meaningless.

 

During the height of the Great Demon War, forgiveness was tantamount to surrender, and surrender was tantamount to suicide.

 

So if Rorschach says something like that, he’ll need to be re-educated mentally.

 

But Rorschach said something different from what Federbeck had expected.

 

“My parents died by the tip of a pen, not the tip of a sword.”

 

“What will kill them is not the sword and shield, but the pen and ledger.”

 

Rorschach’s gaze turned toward the prisoners.

 

Extremely cold eyes.

 

Rorschach’s eyes were no longer looking at them.

 

“Killing with a sword seems too easy a revenge. As an administrator, I should take revenge through administration. Accomplishing the tasks that my parents couldn’t complete in their lifetime would be true revenge.”

 

“Now that you mention it, that makes sense too.”

 

“I look forward to working with you, Lord Featherback. I will serve with utmost loyalty until you achieve your great undertaking.”

 

Rorschach bowed her head toward Featherback.

 

Despite being born and raised in Narok, her etiquette was perfect.

 

She could enter noble society right now without issue.

 

…Thud!

 

Finally, Rorschach grasped the red seal in her hand.

 

A farewell to the past.

 

She had chosen to walk a new path.

 

Featherback spoke.

 

“Congratulations on your appointment, Rorschach.”

 

The Child of the Abyss had become his subordinate.

 

* * *

 

Several days had passed since Featherback acquired a useful new sword.

 

The administrative building of Mörsolt Castle.

 

A group of people had gathered there.

 

“Sancho! It’s been so long. How have you been?”

 

“These days I can barely breathe properly. Never know where there might be an informant.”

 

“I can barely breathe these days. You never know where there might be an informant.”

 

“I wonder if this is really living. The old days were better.”

 

Plump little mice from fighting in the box.

 

They’re the ones who sold out their colleagues to survive.

 

“The wealth of those we informed on will come to us as reward money, so our situation is actually better than before.”

 

“We pushed aside those above us, trampled those below us, and in the end, we survived.”

 

“The assets of those we informed on will come to us as rewards, so we should consider the situation even better than before.”

 

“As expected, a crisis can become an opportunity depending on how you overcome it.”

 

The little mice squeak as they think about the positive future ahead.

 

At that moment.

 

Screech—

 

Someone opened the administrator’s door and stepped inside.

 

Suddenly, people hurriedly rose from their seats.

 

“Warden! You’ve arrived!”

 

Feedback Mölsolt.

 

The one who gathered these rats here has appeared.

 

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

 

“Um… Prison Warden. What business do you have calling us here… We are innocent territory residents who have absolutely no connection to the recent series of purge incidents…”

 

The man named Sancho asked while reading the situation.

 

The others also seemed to have much weighing on their minds regarding Featherback’s summons, avoiding eye contact and fidgeting.

 

Eventually, Featherback spoke.

 

“You need to collect the reward money from the informing this time. The amount is quite substantial.”

 

“Yes. Actually, I wanted to ask about that very matter…”

 

Sancho smiled brightly and began to speak, but the conversation was cut off by Featherback’s following words.

 

“I’ll give you the reward money, so disclose all of your wealth situations.”

 

“…Excuse me?”

 

The rat bastards’ eyes widened.

 

Revealing one’s wealth details was no different from handing over a leash.

 

But it was something that had to be done.

 

In order to receive compensation from Mörsolt for the informing.

 

They submitted their wealth details with trembling hands.

 

People’s expressions changed with every move Featherback made as he reviewed the submitted wealth details.

 

“Hmm…”

 

Featherback stroked his chin.

 

“All of this content is completely truthful without a single lie, right?”

 

Heavy eyes that pressed down on the assembly, and at that gaze someone gulped—swallowing their saliva.

 

“Of course.”

 

Goatee-bearded Sancho nodded on behalf of everyone.

 

At that answer, Featherback wore a faint smile.

 

“Good. Then in recognition of your sincerity…”

 

At that moment, the door to the Legal Affairs Office burst open and fully armed soldiers came rushing in.

 

Featherback’s words continued.

 

“I’ll send you off without pain.”

 

All the rat bastards wore blank expressions.

 

They couldn’t understand the situation that was unfolding.

 

“What do you mean? You clearly said you would value us highly… that you would give us substantial reward money…”

 

“I will value you highly. As fertilizer for my garden.”

 

“…”

 

The fact that Featherback tends his own small garden is known by everyone in Mörsolt Territory.

 

In that garden grow potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, wheat, and such… and that their fertilizer consists of the corpses of executed serious criminals is also well known.

 

Featherback added in a listless tone.

 

“Looking at the documents you submitted, there are more than a few suspicious parts. This constitutes document forgery. The punishment for accounting fraud is naturally death. How dare you play games with Mörsolt?”

 

“Th-that!? You misunderstand! We absolutely had no such intention…!”

 

“Enough. From the beginning, you lot are no different from those we executed before. All of you are nothing but thieves, swindlers, and fraudsters. Trash who only know how to suck the lifeblood from territory residents who work diligently and fulfill their tax obligations.”

 

At Featherback’s scathing assessment, Sancho and all the others shut their mouths.

 

The documents they had submitted were thrown back at them.

 

Featherback declared as if they weren’t even worth reconsidering.

 

“Rewards can only be deposited into transparent accounts. All of your accounts are murky and unclear. That’s why payment was impossible. Oh, and…”

 

To Sancho and all the others who wore blank expressions, Featherback continued as if he had almost forgotten something.

 

“From today, a newly appointed legal administrator will handle your future treatment. You’ll be seeing each other’s faces often from now on, so you might as well introduce yourselves today.”

 

Featherback snapped his fingers.

 

Then the back door opened and a person revealed themselves.

 

A girl who appeared to be in her mid-teens.

 

She had rough dark-gold hair cut almost completely short in a boyish cut, slightly downturned eyes, and small, delicate lips that were striking.

 

After washing away the accumulated grime through bathing, consuming adequate nutrition, and changing into neat clothing, her dazzling beauty was revealed without filter.

 

“Hello. I’m the new legal administrator, Rorschach Roschek.”

 

The girl greeted them in a quiet voice.

 

Then the hearts of Sancho and all the rat bastards gathered here sank with a thud.

 

Among those gathered here, there was no one who could hear the surname ‘Roschek’ without feeling pain in their conscience.

 

Those who had framed and driven out an innocent and upright administrator couple over ten years ago.

 

And those who had handled all the dirty work under them while fattening themselves.

 

“C-could it be?”

 

“The Roschek Couple’s daughter?”

 

“They had a child?”

 

Those rat bastards began to stir.

 

Toward them, who had been relieved thinking they had barely escaped the storm of blood, Rorschach smiled brightly.

 

“Please take care of me from now on, criminals who are worse than trash.”

 

The Avenger from Hell had appeared wielding the sword of law.

 

The rat bastards who heard the surname ‘Roschek’ instinctively knew.

 

The storm of blood that would come this time was one they could never escape.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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