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Published at 11th of March 2016 03:22:33 PM


Chapter 18

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My closest image of Latifa :

~~~~~~~

 

Having caught a glimpse of the girl’s knife, Rio twisted his body at once.

But, that girl’s arm suddenly twisting like a snake, from the small gap of the light armor, that knife pierced into the side of Rio’s abdomen.
「!!!」

Rio unintentionally frowned when he felt an edged tool entering his body. [TLC : グサリ、と刃物が身体の中に入ってくる感覚に、リオが思わず顔を顰める。]

He instantly pushed the girl away along with her knife, extracted from Rio’s side abdomen. A trace of blood sprayed on her green cloth.

After confirming that he was separated from the girl, he also did a back-step to keep some distance, so he could deal with the girl’s attack.

Having herself pushed away, the girl’s stance crumbled; her face that had been concealed by the hood was finally revealed and her appearance could be seen.

Rio was dumbfounded when he saw fox ears growing out of that girl’s head.
(Kemonomimi!?)[TL : sorry it’s actually “Beastman”, I just can’t hold back myself]
He was surprised by the beastman, that he had seen for the first time. Rio felt that the place where he got stabbed didn’t particularly hurt, but he felt some kind of burning sensation running all over his abdomen.
(Is this……poison?)
He instantly noticed that the knife was smeared with poison.

Maybe it was a quick acting poison.

Before the poison circulated through his body, he started to cure and detoxify it with spirit arts by touching the afflicted parts with his hand.

Though the girl waited for Rio to be unable to move and die, she instead became astonished, watching Rio’s complexion become better and better. She instantly ran at him with full force.
(So fast!)
The girl’s running speed shocked even Rio.

The girl’s speed was the fastest Rio had ever seen.

Even if every knight were to use their 『Body Strengthening Magic(Hyper Physical Ability)』 it might still be no match against her.
He himself didn’t have the luxury to say that as he could still feel discomfort in the place where he got stabbed.

He released his magical power in order to brush away the killing intent, released by that girl, and reinforced his body and physical ability at the same time. Rio then leapt horizontally, in the direction of that girl.

The girl also changed her direction after him.

Rio threw his throwing knife; he aimed at the girl’s legs while she is running at him, trying to shorten their distance.

The girl then jumped up to avoid the thrown knife, and grabbed at a convenient tree branch. Just like that she nimbly did an acrobatic circling movement upward, then stood at the top of the tree.
This time it was Rio’s turn to jump up and close their distance.

Like a sudden gust, he rushed at her with full power.

Being confused by his action, the girl’s hand went inside her robe, took out three throwing knives from inside and then threw them at Rio.

Rio drew his sword from its scabbard and used it to parry all the bullet-like knives thrown by that girl, then restoring the sword to its scabbard again after that. [TL : IAI???]
The girl quickly descended from the branch, where she had bad footing, doing so to avoid a direct confrontation with Rio.

Rio jumped from the top of the tree to that girl; a jump that produced enough force to kill her.[TLC : 跳躍により生み出された勢いを殺すように、リオは少女が立っていた木の枝に飛び込んだ。]

Having broken branches to kill momentum, just like that, Rio continued to fall below.

Incidentally, after he landed on the ground, the girl thrust her knife as she got closer to Rio.

Even if he was only grazed a little by that poison, it was enough to gnaw at his life.

While he parried that girl’s knife, Rio countered by hitting the girl’s chin with the bottom of his palm. [TL : SERIOUSLY, DON’T DO THIS IN RL as YOU CAN ACCIDENTALLY KILLING SOMEONE WITH IT!!!]

That girl, however, avoided Rio’s palm by shifting her head.
(Amazing. She’s still a kid but her physical abilities are greatly different from humans.)
Rio admired this girl’s power even when he was struggling in a battle against her.

Though he didn’t think that he would be defeated, that girl’s physical abilities rivaled even Rio, with his reinforced physical abilities.
(However, her movements are still rough.)
From that fact, he became sure that he wouldn’t lose.
(Nope, that’s just my pride……..)
There were no guaranteed wins or loses in battle.

Rio vaguely thought that he wouldn’t be defeated as long as he was equipped with spirit arts and the ancient martial arts that he forged in his previous life.[TL : Editor-san please look for “kobujutsu”(古武術), I still didn’t know what kind of style it is?] [ED: it looks like a martial arts style using weapons like staff, tonfa and nunchucks]

In practical terms, the advantage of having spirit arts was great.

However, as if waiting for that carelessness, a knife pierced in his direction.

The surprise attack is meaningless, even if it was carried out with more power then before.[TLC : This part is still confusing, please help me fixing it –>力を持っていてもそれを使う前に不意打ちされたら意味はないのだ。] [ED: he said “the surprise attack is meaningless even if I didn’t release my power”]
To obtain certain victory, that girl’s movement came first. He observed that in great detail, so Rio was accurately prepared for it when that girl stabbed with her knife.

Rio parried that girl’s attack bare-handed the entire time, and then began to launch a counter-attack. [TLC : sorry, getting confused again–>少女が打ち込む攻撃をすべて素手でいなし、リオが打撃を打ち込んでいく。]

Little-by-little that girl began to get herself cornered.

Finally the gap between their real ability became more and more visible.

Rio made sure not to, to the best of his abilities, use an attack that could accidentally kill her.

If he used spirit arts, the battle would’ve ended long ago.

—-

「!!!」

Little by little impatience surfaced on the girl’s face.

Maybe that girl also vaguely understood that she was no match for Rio.

Being impatient, the girl launched an attack, aimed at Rio’s heart.

「UGA!」

However, Rio dodged that by twisting his body a little, and hitting the girl’s stomach with the bottom of the palm on his right hand.

A dull shriek emitted from the girl’s mouth. As her senses were swaying and balance broken, Rio, with his left hand, shoved the girl’s head from her right towards the left. [ED: One-two, right punch and left grab and throw .]

「GAH」

The girl’s body slammed strongly to the ground.

Disarming the knife in her hand, Rio turned to her back and applying a joint lock. [ED: Can someone rewrite this into a better sentence.]

The girl was putting her all into struggling against his restriction, until she knew that she really couldn’t move her body.

「Stop there. Can you understand my words? 」

[ED : ここまで is used by police, a prefix for anyone to stop someone as they are doing some action, like struggling, bullying etc. for use in bad sense. In a good sense, it is like saying we finish work here.]

Rio said that while pushing all of his body weight against the girl’s body and both her hands.

「Hii, Hii, Hiuuu, uuuuuuuu, Higuuuuu」[TL : She is crying, just for information, and it’s certainly not a R*pe]

Then her face distorted, as if she was frightened about something, she was rocking, kicking, and struggling while her whole body shivered; it was just like she went mad. The girl then burst into tears.

「UGUUUU………………u」

As if her trauma was triggered, the girl sobbing increased to almost a shriek.

「Oi. Calm yourself」

Rio tried to calm her, as she became too frantic.

「Uuuu. No! Let… Let go!S, stop it! 」[ED : はな、はな、じてっ! is from hanashite which means let go.]

The girl couldn’t talk very well, Rio clicked his tongue.

Lying the girl face down, he hit the back of her neck using his hand, one time, and then she lost consciousness. [TL : wait what are you going to do with that loli?]

「………What kind of environment was she raised in? 」

He said that while a suspicion raised in him, and took a look at the fainted girl.

In contrast to her machine-like cold-heartedness in battle, it was hard to believe that her emotions would be that unstable.

It looked like she became extremely afraid of something the moment he held her down.

「This is…………………」

Rio noticed something about the girl’s collar.

「Collar of Obedience…………………is she………….a slave?」

A Collar of Obedience was a magic tool that was put on a slave.

It was difficult for a slave that was attached to that thing to go against the master’s orders.

The so called ‘desire to obey something commanded to them’ would arise; trying to go against the command was futile. When enchanted with a special spell, intense pain would run through the slave’s body.

The magic to release that magic was called『Dispel Magic*(Dispel)』, an advanced magic that was difficult to learn. It was a heavy crime to use it without the owner’s permission. [TL : have a better name for this?]

Also, the person with it equiped couldn’t personally release it.

That was the kind of magic tool it was.

The way the girl started crying was strange.

Perhaps she actually didn’t harbour some kind of extreme trauma, that was what Rio thought. [Perhaps she had an extreme trauma towards being pinned down like that, that was what Rio thought.]

However, if she was left to move freely, maybe she would try to accomplish her master’s orders, and try to kill Rio a second time.

He sighed while feeling irritated, Rio took out a rope from his backpack, and tied the girl’s hands and feet. [TL : Bondage???]

He moved the girl to take the knife from her hip, shaking the girl, then waited for her to wake. [After taking a knife from his waist and pointing at her, he shook the girl, and then waited for her to wake up.]

「Nn……………….n! ? 」

Having noticed Rio, she reacted and started to move.

However, she then noticed that her body couldn’t move; frantically started to unfasten the rope.

Showing the knife, Rio stared into her eyes from point blank range.

「Nnー!」

It looked like he could now have the conversation which he couldn’t previously.

It was still the same, there was no light in those eyes; it didn’t mean that she had lost the sense of reasoning.

「Have you woken up? If you don’t want to die/want to live, answer my questions. If the answer is “yes”, nod your head. Don’t say anything if it is “No”」

Indifferently telling her that, his hand held her neck; Rio began to observe the girl’s actions.

From the beginning, the girl really didn’t have anything to say to Rio. [From the beginning, Rio had thought that girl might not tell the truth.][i.e when the answer is yes, she will instead keep silent instead of nodding.]

Her actions were precisely because of that.

Knowing that her actions were seen through, the girl looked at Rio and became frightened.

—-

「You’re a slave, right?」

「…………」

「Is your master a noble of Bertram kingdom? 」

「…………」

「You came to kill me on that person’s orders?」

「…………」

The girl kept her silent attitude.

But, the answer to all the questions so far was “Yes”; Rio had already concluded that.

Finally, Rio had heard all the things that he wanted to hear. The girl already had no other use.

(Now What should be done with this girl afterwards?)

「………Do you want to be released from slavery?」

After a while, Rio said that with a sigh.

「……」

It was only just for an instant, but the girl’s pupils regained its light. Rio didn’t miss that.

「That’s right.」

The girl took a look at Rio, in some respect she was spellbound and kept looking at him.

She didn’t know Rio’s true motive.

「Well, in any case, after you’re released from slavery, will you still try to kill me?」

「…………」

A short silence followed that for a while, then the girl shake her head slowly.

The girl’s reaction, pulse, the movement of her eyes, breath, and perspiration, all of that was completely under Rio’s observation.

「I see……… After I released you, you will be treated as runaway slave in human race country, even knowing that? … how about it? 」

The girl was bewildered and looked at the surrounding restlessly; then, looking at Rio’s serious expression, she finally give a small nod.

After confirming the girl’s answer, Rio’s right hand held the back of the girl’s neck.

A dim light flowed out from Rio’s hand, then the choker disconnected from the girl and fell to the ground.

「…………」

The fallen choker was reflected in the girl’s eyes.

She was dumbfounded.

And then, a short time later, the girl began to move her head in order to check the sensation from her neck.

「Eh………….., fue, fue, Hiks, hiks, UeEEEEEEEEEEEE」[TL : for your information, she’s crying]

Suddenly, the girl was weeping, knowing that the choker was completely disconnected from her.

Rio sheathed his knife, while sighing a little, when he saw this scene.

It had been more than 10 minutes since the girl started to weep. Gradually she got tired of weeping, the crying voice stalled.

「Is it fine now?」

Rio called out to the girl.

The girl got startled, then stared at Rio.

「I will give you back your knife, though with the poison removed. It’s fine for you to escape after that.」

Rio said so while he performed medical treatment to the place that was lightly cut, then he cut the rope that restrained the girl and releasing her.

He handed back the knife which was the girl’s equipment.

「Eh………? 」

The girl become bewildered at Rio’s word.

「I said, you better escape quickly. It seems that living in the human racial territory would only make you experience a harsh life, but that wouldn’t be the case if you were in demi-human territoy, right. 」

Rio said that information in order to persuade the girl.

「You will find a Demi-human territory if you move to the east of this place. I’m also going to go in a eastern direction, but unfortunately my clothes got ripped. I’m going to return once again to the town. We will part here.」

The girl remained dumbfounded after hearing what Rio said.

If the slave collar was still attached to her neck, the girl would probably continue to try and kill Rio.

In that situation, he would have to kill that girl

But, it was another matter if she was without the collar.

She would stop trying to kill him because there was no longer a need to.

He released her with that kind of thought.

She needed someone to look after her until she could take care of herself; Rio didn’t have any intention of doing that.

Rio heard that beastman tribes had a heartwarming feeling towards their brethern.

If that was the case, then he thought that he, also, needed to make them meet the girl.

After saying that and releasing the girl, Rio turned back to Almond city.

There was already no killing intent or malice from that girl, towards Rio.

The girl was only standing in a daze, watching Rio leave.

After returning to Almond he bought clothes, then after that he immediately left.

Then he left the highway once again; Rio was going through the forest.

Rio made sure that no one could see him, then instantly raised his movement speed.

He was running forward, weaving his path amongst the gaps between the trees. Suddenly, Rio’s movement halted.

「…………… Come out.」

Facing towards the person, that had been following him since sometime ago, Rio called out to shock that person.

At that place was the fox girl that followed him since sometime ago.

She was a little surprised by him calling out to her, but still showed herself.

—-

「What’s the matter?」

Rio asked what business she had with him. [ED : 何の用 in anime means, do you need me for something.]

「E, erm, Let’s, go, to east, together……..」

Rio was stunned for an instant by the girl’s words.

Though she had difficulties with talking, Rio could perfectly understand what she said.

However, Rio couldn’t understand her intentions.

Why was that girl saying something like that.

Did, by some chance, she mistake me for a good person?

Rio considered that.

「Listen here, I didn’t help you out of good will. I also didn’t want to take you along.」

He said that in order to correct that girl’s misunderstanding.

It was also because he felt reluctant to kill her.

He didn’t want to bear that sin.

From that kind of selfish reason, he released that girl.

To him, that was all there was to it.

「…………….Let go together, desu」 [ED: I tried making font smaller (size 11) to indicate smaller voice]

The girl said that with an almost inaudible voice.

Rio could actually hear what she just said, and sighed a little.

「I’m a human, you know. And a selfish one at that. Are you not afraid that I might be the same as those who made you like a slave? 」

Hearing Rio’s words, the girl shook her head.

「Unpleasant feeling……….I can’t feel it, desu. Funny smell*, also, don’t have」 [TL : it was called estrus smell in Mushoku Tensei, and Rudy got owned so many times by the beast race because of that]

 

The girl said that while pointing at Rio.

When he heard funny smell, that made him a little doubtful. It seemed that it had become the foundation for the girl’s belief in Rio.

「Moreover, I can’t bring you to beastman territory.」

He said that while bewildered; the girl’s will was stronger than he thought.

That was definitely not reasoning out of desperation.

Many of beastman tribe resented the human race because of how humans treated their brethrens as slaves.

If Rio went to that place along with a girl of beast tribe, he could easily imagined the chance of him being called a foreign enemy.

「Well, until that place, let’s go…………….together……………desu.」

The girl said that, in some respects she was strongly wishing for that.

The girl had lived her life in slavery up until now.

All this time she had strongly wished to be released from slavery.

For the majority of her life, the girl had already gotten used to accepting order from someone.

Now that she was freed, she didn’t know what to do.

The girl was walking aimlessly inside the forest while Rio was back in the city. When Rio left the city, somehow she could sense him and followed him from behind.

Scratching his head with his left hand, Rio sighed a little and then talked in a resigned tone.

「……..Fine then, do as you like. But, I’m going to take another route once we arrived in beastman territory. Understood?   」

Compared to having her following him from behind like this, it seemed moving together was the best course of action. Just like that, Rio decided to accept travelling together with that girl, while creating such half-hearted reason in his heart. [TL : NEW KIND OF TSUNDERE………PART II]

 

「O, K」

The girl bowed while still being perplexed.

While she did that, Rio confirmed the girl’s appearance.

She was covered by a green robe that was large enough to conceal her whole body inside it; some part of it was for storing various kinds of equipment inside.

「Did you carry food and water? How about blanket? 」

He was confirming whether she carried the minimum necessities.

「I’ve, received, a little food. Water, is taking, from river.   I have this, for blanket, desu.」 . [TL : for your information, she’s speaking in broken sentences, the explanation will come after ark 2 main story ended]

The girl said that while fluttering her robe.

Rio sighed as a result of what he saw. [TL : such poor loli]

 

It was only natural since the amount of provisions won’t be enough for the journey.

「Understood. I’ll also take care of your food and water.   Now, this is our concern, I wonder if I need to go back to that city once again……………」

Though he thought that it was annoying to go back and forth to the same place, since he was the one who was allowing her to travel with him, it seemed natural for him to look after her too. [TL : -_-‘]

「Wait for me here for a while. I’m going to buy your necessities in that city. Let’s see, wait for me for one hour. Understood?   」

He said that while also giving an instruction to that girl.

After the girl gave a confirmation while timidly nodding her head, Rio then started to turn back toward Almond.

「Ah, that’s right, what’s your name?」

As if it had just came suddenly to him, he stopped and then asked for the girl’s name.

「Latifa」[TL : in katakana–(ラティーファ >Ratifa)]

「I see. I’m Rio. Nice to meet you.   Latifa.」





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