NOVEL NEXT Chapter 5
“Approach without breaking anything.”
The owners of the voices coming from outside.
They crossed the yard very carefully and quietly, coming right in front of me.
“I sense something.”
“Let’s handle it quietly and leave.”
These heartless humans.
Looks like they even planned to catch the guard dog.
However.
Unfortunately for them, I’m not a dog.
After catching my breath.
I prepared to jump out in one go.
“Handle it….”
Just like that.
When something appeared closest to me.
Crunch-!
“Ugh…!”
I flung my body and instantly bit their neck.
After that.
Crunch-
I twisted their neck while holding onto their body.
The familiar sensation of murder, but due to the peace I’ve had lately, I felt a strange discomfort as I glanced around.
“It’s a person!”
“Subdue them!”
What I saw were masked figures, clearly assassins or kidnappers.
…There are a lot of them.
This is quite the situation, after dealing with gladiators who would openly challenge, now I have to face these thieves. It feels weird.
But from what I can sense, there doesn’t seem to be any exceptionally strong fighters.
Of course, it’s a one versus many situation, and I can’t even use my aura.
But that only makes me more excited.
The gaze and cheers in the Coliseum felt disgusting.
Swoosh-!
“They’re coming!”
“Attack at once!”
The intense struggle where life was at stake has already been imprinted in my mind as pleasure.
Thud.
I spread my hand and grabbed the head of one masked person.
With the dagger I stole from the first masked person I killed, I stabbed their neck.
“Ugh!”
Good, two down.
Whoosh-!
I dodged the dagger swung with a whistling sound.
After that.
Whoom-
“Monster-like…!”
I threw the masked person I was holding to create confusion.
Then I rushed at the nearest masked person.
There are many, so I need to move quickly.
Of course, if I just shouted here, the situation would end.
But then my share would decrease, right?
Even in the Coliseum, they give extra rewards for killing many monsters in group battles.
Moreover, this is the residence of a noble lady, said to be the best in the kingdom.
Even if I’m a slave, wouldn’t there be some benefits?
Plunge-
The sound of a sharp dagger piercing through the stomach.
It was none other than a sneak attack from the leader-like figure among the masked people.
“Ugh.”
Thud!
I momentarily pushed the pain away with my breath and elbowed the masked person away.
Huh, a paralyzing poison?
It’s slightly tingling.
“Now, attack at once.”
“…Sorry about this.”
Unfortunately, poison doesn’t work well on me.
Whether it’s a side effect of a drug I took before or my natural constitution.
Even the various poisons used by monsters in the Coliseum had no effect on me.
Plus, I’m also used to pain.
Crunch!
I smashed the head of a masked person charging at me.
“This monster…!”
“We don’t have time! Everyone, charge!”
Still, it’s fortunate that they’re the ones in a hurry.
If they had tried to hunt slowly, it would have been tiring.
And so.
I engaged in a bloody battle, using the dark garden as an arena.
*
A little later.
“Ugh, ugh! You monster…!”
The leader of the remaining masked people collapsed, spilling blood.
“Whew… whew…”
Is it because I fought after resting?
It’s really damn exhausting.
Thud.
I sat down on the ground around me, thinking about stopping the bleeding from the numerous holes all over my body.
But then.
Clap. Clap. Clap.
A clapping sound came from the darkness.
“Well done.”
“…There was an audience.”
The one approaching while clapping was none other than the butler of this mansion.
His name is… right.
“Lowell, right?”
“Seems the lady has told you my name. But why didn’t you ask for help?”
…He already noticed and was watching?
Well, there’s no way the old man wouldn’t know.
“Well, wouldn’t it wake the lady if I made a noise?”
I said while roughly tearing my clothes to wrap around the wounds.
This seems like expensive clothing, what a waste, but it’s already full of holes so it’s trash anyway?
“The real reason?”
“If you’re not going to believe me, why ask? Just thought maybe you’d lay out a blanket or something.”
The floor is really hard, you see.
Thinking about it, don’t they lay out cushions for dogs?
Really, just doing as the lady said, I don’t receive any thoughtful considerations that a young lady might not think of.
“Well, that’s wise. The Void Family is clear about rewards and punishments.”
“…That’s a relief.”
That’s good to hear, if the butler guarantees it, it must be certain.
“First, let’s get you treated, follow me.”
“Alright.”
I was already losing more blood than I thought.
Who knows how much poison was applied, my hands and feet are starting to tingle.
“This is…”
“There were intruders.”
“Ah.”
This mansion is large and has many servants, so there’s also a simple medical facility.
I went there, threw off my ruined clothes, and sat in front of the healer.
“What kind of scars are these…”
“Well…”
My body is full of scars everywhere except my face.
Well, among gladiators, many consider them marks of glory. But to me, they’re just ugly scars.
“First, let’s clean the wounds…”
The healer wiped the wounds with a hot towel, applied some unknown medicine, then stitched and bandaged them.
Better than that doctor in the Coliseum.
“By the way, aren’t you going to ask? Why the intruders came.”
While I was comfortably being treated, Lowell asked me.
“…Should the guard dog know?”
At my answer, the butler Lowell stared at me.
And then.
“Quite loyal, aren’t you.”
With a meaningful remark, he turned his back.
“I’ll go help with the cleanup now.”
Help with the cleanup?
…So he already called people without me knowing.
I didn’t think he would just leave the scene and follow me.
“…If you go, you’ll see, but I left the leader-like one among the masked people alive.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yes, he won’t wake up anytime soon, though.”
I’m not usually one to control my strength well, but still, he’s not dead.
“Then rest well.”
And so.
With a slightly changed look towards me, Lowell left.
“Whew…”
“Don’t, don’t fall asleep!”
Perhaps because I overexerted myself after a long time, I fell asleep as if fainting while being treated.
*
…I opened my eyes to a familiar ceiling.
The ceiling of the dog house I always see.
“Ugh…”
These guys, after treating me, they put me back here?
Even dressed me properly over the bandages.
But…
“Oh…”
The floor is soft.
Looking closely, there’s quite a large cushion laid out.
…Feedback reflection is quick.
As expected, they’re competent.
Just as my evaluation of Lowell went up a bit.
“Doggy!”
A familiar voice came from outside the dog house where I was lying.
The lady has come.
Like a doggy, I went out to greet her.
“Lady, you’re here.”
“You caught the thieves!”
“…That’s right.”
Thieves? Ah.
They were thieves, just that what they were stealing was people.
“Wow, good job!”
Pat pat.
Not knowing that the people who came to steal were targeting her.
The lady was very bright, vigorously patting my head.
…It feels strange having a kid younger than me treating me like this.
“Lady, since he did well, you should give him a reward.”
Then, the butler beside her subtly brought it up.
“Right! I should give a reward.”
‘Nice.’
As expected of an elder. He definitely keeps his word.
“Doggy, is there something you want?”
What I want…
There’s too much, it’s a problem.
Training weapons, or at least, I want this collar off for even just three hours a day.
But since I worked hard getting stabbed, let’s be greedy for once.
“Well, I…”
Just as I was about to state my demand.
A strange sensation, something felt off.
What is it?
Why suddenly?
For a moment, I scrutinized the lady in front of me.
The usual appearance during my time at the mansion.
Innocent, with red…
“…Just give me snacks often.”
Eyes.
Right.
Those ruby-like eyes.
They were shining strangely, just like when she first proposed to me.
“Snacks? Alright!”
Right.
What would a doggy want but walks or snacks?
Collars, training times, etc.
A doggy wouldn’t want those.
Rather, the butler Lowell beside me looked at me with a subtle gaze, but my instincts were shouting that this was the right answer.
The instincts honed from countless life-and-death situations in the Coliseum, so I decided to trust them this time too.
“Then I’ll get you some snacks!”
And so, the lady cheerfully ran off.
“Take your time, lady!”
The servants of the mansion followed her.
But…
“Aren’t you going?”
The old man who always follows the lady was standing there, watching me this time.
“Why did you let go of the reward like that?”
It seems my choice is hard to understand.
I don’t fully know the reason either…
“…Just thought the lady might not like it.”
If I had to explain this instinct, it would be for this reason.
At my answer, Lowell looked at me with a disbelieving gaze.
“Well, fine.”
Whoosh.
He threw something at me.
What is it? It’s a key.
And it looks like it could unlock the dog collar I’m wearing.
“When the lady is not around, you can take off that collar.”
“Huh?”
“And starting tomorrow, come to me during the lady’s lesson time.”
Starting tomorrow?
What does that mean? I looked at Lowell with a puzzled expression…
“Must be boring to death, right? Let’s loosen up your body a bit.”
Unexpectedly.
He said exactly what I wanted to hear.